Russia and Ukraine exchanged 115 prisoners of war from each side on Saturday after the United Arab Emirates acted as an intermediary. It is the first such exchange since Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region on Aug.

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed a new prisoner swap with Russia. It is the first prisoner swap between countries since Ukraine launched its offensive inside Russia earlier this month. Since the war started in 2022, the UAE has mediated the release of 1,788 prisoners, including those released on Saturday.

Russian President Putin said on Thursday that he was grateful to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for helping to organise the biggest U.S.-Russian prisoner swap since the Cold War.