December 30th 2024.
As the year comes to a close, the world witnessed a major prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv. This was one of the largest exchanges of prisoners of war since the beginning of the full-scale war in 2022. The exchange was made possible with the help of the United Arab Emirates, and it saw 189 Ukrainian captives being released in exchange for around 150 Russian prisoners of war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the UAE for their diplomatic efforts in securing the release of the prisoners. Among those released were brave soldiers who had been defending important locations such as Azovstal, Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and Snake Island. Some of these prisoners had been held captive since the start of the invasion.
On December 30, President Zelensky announced that the Russian captives were primarily taken during Ukraine's offensive in Kursk over the summer. The group included military personnel and two civilians. This was a significant step towards achieving one of the main goals of the Kursk offensive - securing the release of Ukrainian captives held by Russia.
President Zelensky took to Telegram to share the news, saying, "The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home." He also reassured the public that his government is working tirelessly to free every single Ukrainian held captive by Russia.
Out of the 189 released, 87 were Armed Forces service members, 43 were National Guard members, 33 were border guards, and 24 were sailors. There were also two journalists, Oleksandr Hudilin and Roman Borshch, who had joined the military. Emotional scenes were captured as families and loved ones were reunited with the prisoners after long months of separation.
Serhii, who was captured at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, shared his experience of being away from his 5-year-old son for almost three years. He said, "My son is 5 years old now, the last time I saw him he was 2 years old. That's why my son probably didn't recognize me. I used to have a beard and hair. I lost 20 kg." For some former captives, the return to freedom involved a period of adjustment.
Roman Borshch, 29, shared his struggle in getting used to being a free person again. "Even now I'm holding my hands behind my back, it has become a habit of mine. Now I have to get used to being a free person again," he said. The Russian Defence Ministry also released a video showing smiling servicemen on a bus, some of them making emotional calls to their families.
This exchange was a significant one, as it was the 59th since the start of the war. It was also the largest since January 3, 2024, when 478 prisoners from both sides were released. In 2024 alone, Russia has released a total of 1,358 Ukrainian soldiers. However, it is important to note that these advances have resulted in severe losses in military personnel for Russia.
According to Kyiv's military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Russian forces are "suffering record losses." He made this statement while claiming that Putin's troops are attacking multiple points along Donetsk's frontline and advancing towards Pokrovsk city. Since February 2024, Russian troops have taken over 400 square miles of territory in the area.
General Syrskyi revealed that Russia's daily military casualties in the Donetsk area range from 1,000 to 1,2000, according to Western intelligence estimates. This is a significant number and highlights the seriousness of the situation. There have been talks of Slovakia hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the future, as it has received approval from President Putin himself. This could be a step towards finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
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