MOSCOW

Russia and Ukraine on Saturday held another war prisoners' exchange, with each side releasing 103 people, the Russian Defense Ministry said. 

"On Sept. 14 of this year, as a result of a negotiation process, 103 Russian servicemen captured in the (Russia’s) Kursk region were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return, 103 prisoners of war of Ukraine's armed forces were returned," the ministry said in a statement.

In a surprise move, Ukraine last month sent troops into Russia's Kursk region and claimed to capture many settlements there.

"The United Arab Emirates played a humanitarian mediation role in the return of Russian servicemen from captivity,” it added.

All released Russian military personnel are currently in neighboring Belarus. They will be transferred to Russia and will receive treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions run by the Defense Ministry, it noted.

Russia and Ukraine have carried our almost 60 exchanges of prisoners of war since the war began in February 2022.

Before the latest swap, the two countries each exchanged 115 prisoners of war on Aug. 24 in a swap coordinated by Türkiye and done on Turkish soil.