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Military operation in Ukraine

Over 2,400 Russian soldiers returned home in 30 POW swaps with Ukraine

In 2024, there were ten exchanges, with 1,266 servicemen being back home

Â© Alexander Polegenko/TASS, archive

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russia has conducted 30 POW exchanges with Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation and returned 2,466 servicemen, according to TASS calculations based of the Russian defense ministry’s data.

This year’s first 25 for 25 swap took place on January 15.

In 2024, there were ten exchanges, with 1,266 servicemen being back home. In particular, 248 soldiers returned to Russia on January 3, 2024; 195 - on January 31; 100 - on February 8; 75 - on May 1; 90 - on June 25; 95 - on July 17; 115 - on August 24; 103 - on September 14; 95 - on October 18; and 150 - on December 30.

In 2023, there were eight swaps. Fifty Russian servicemen were returned on January 8; 63 - on February 4; 101 - on February 16; 90 - on March 7; 106 - on April 10; 40 - on April 26; and 94 - on June 11.

Eleven exchanges were conducted in 2022, with 628 servicemen being swapped. The swaps took place on September 22 (55 soldiers), October 13 (20), October 17 (110), October 29 (50), November 3 (107), November 23 (35), November 24 (50), November 26 (9), December 1 (50), December 6 (60), and December 31 (82).

All exchanges this and last year involved the same number of Ukrainian servicemen. The United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator.

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