The operation in the Kursk region is prompting Russia to increase its exchanges of prisoners of war, according to ISW.
As reported by Ukrinform, this is mentioned in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
ISW analysts noted in their summary that on October 18, Ukraine and Russia conducted the fourth prisoner exchange since the start of the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, resulting in the release of 95 Ukrainian military personnel from captivity.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced the return of 95 Russian prisoners of war by the Russian authorities. They added that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) acted as a mediator in the exchange, as highlighted by the Institute.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that many Ukrainian soldiers returned from captivity with serious illnesses and severe injuries, having also lost weight due to torture and malnutrition while in Russian captivity.
Previously, ISW indicated that the frequency of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia has significantly increased since the beginning of the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, with both sides having exchanged a total of 267 prisoners of war during three separate exchanges. In comparison, Ukraine and Russia conducted only three prisoner exchanges from January 1 to August 6, 2024, experts noted.
“ISW continues to assess that the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region is likely increasingly encouraging Russia to participate in prisoner exchanges,” the report states.
As Ukrinform reported, on October 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine managed to secure the release of 95 military personnel from Russian captivity, 20 of whom were sentenced in Russia to life imprisonment for defending their homeland from the aggressor.
Photo: OP