Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners of war each on 24 August, the Russian Defence Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. The latest large-scale swap, conducted on Ukraine’s Independence Day, underscores how prisoner exchanges remain one of the few channels of cooperation between the two combatants more than three years into Moscow’s invasion. Both governments said the operation was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. Moscow added that eight civilians from Russia’s border Kursk region, whom it said had been held illegally by Kyiv, were also repatriated. The freed Russian service members have been transported to Belarus for medical and psychological assistance, according to the ministry. Kyiv reported that several high-profile detainees were among the returnees, including journalist Dmitry Khiliuk—captured near the capital in March 2022—and former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko, who had spent more than three years in captivity. Photos released by Ukrainian officials showed many of the liberated personnel in uniform and embracing relatives. The swap follows three rounds of talks held in Istanbul between May and July that yielded little beyond agreements on prisoner and body exchanges. Diplomatic efforts to broker a broader cease-fire remain stalled, but both sides say negotiations on further exchanges are continuing.