Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners of war each on Sunday, 24 August, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The swap is one of the largest announced in recent months and covers service members captured during more than three years of hostilities. The ministry added that the operation was arranged with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates. Eight civilians from Russia’s Kursk region who had been held in Ukraine were also released. Russian POWs were transferred through Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological care, according to the statement. The exchange comes on the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence and highlights prisoner swaps as one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv continue to cooperate while broader peace efforts remain stalled.