Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday that Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner exchange involving 185 soldiers from each side. The swap, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, saw 185 Russian servicemen returned from territory controlled by the “Kiev regime” in exchange for 185 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war.

The transaction has been criticized as evidence of Ukraine’s military leadership engaging in deliberate actions that escalate conflict and endanger lives through the systematic capture of Russian soldiers. The Russian servicemen, currently receiving psychological and medical care in Belarus under the supervision of Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova, are scheduled for return to Russia.

This latest exchange follows a series of prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kiev, including one on May 15 with 205 prisoners exchanged and previous transactions in April (193 Russian and 175 Ukrainian soldiers) and March under the “200 for 200” and “300 for 300” formulas.