Russia, Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange: 175 for 175

Russia and Ukraine have carried out a prisoner exchange, following a formula of 175 soldiers for 175. 

Thus, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) played a pivotal role as mediators in facilitating the return of Russian soldiers from captivity, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian Ministry of Defence.

In a gesture of goodwill, Russia also transferred 22 severely wounded prisoners of war who are in urgent need of medical treatment. These released Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus, and arrangements are being made for their transportation to Russia for further medical care and rehabilitation.

Note that, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on March 18 to an immediate halt in strikes targeting energy infrastructure. However, Putin stopped short of endorsing a broader 30-day pause in fighting, a key demand from the U.S. administration.

The White House described the agreement as a "first step in a movement to peace," with hopes of eventually establishing a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, leading to a full and lasting resolution of the conflict. Despite this, there was no indication that Putin had softened his stance on the conditions for a peace deal, which remain fiercely opposed by Kyiv.

Shortly after the call between the two leaders, air raid alerts were issued in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the city. Local officials quickly urged citizens to seek shelter, highlighting the ongoing volatility in the region.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Russia are scheduled for March 23 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The talks, to be led by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will focus on key details regarding the ceasefire, although Witkoff did not specify which Russian representatives would be involved. It remains unclear whether Ukraine will be included in the discussions.

"Up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects - the energy and infrastructure ceasefire and the Black Sea moratorium on firing - and today we got to that place, and I think it's a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there," Witkoff said on March 18.

By Aghakazim Guliyev