The operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk Oblast increasingly encourages the aggressor state of russia to participate in prisoner exchanges. In particular, since the beginning of the operation, both sides exchanged a total of 267 prisoners of war during three separate exchanges before the last one, which took place on October 18.
This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Thus, on October 18, Ukraine and russia exchanged prisoners of war in the "one-on-one" format - the fourth exchange since the start of the operation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk Oblast in August 2024.
As a reminder, Ukraine returned 95 prisoners of war, including Ukrainian servicemen who defended the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol in early 2022, Ukrainian National Guardsmen, servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and other Ukrainian servicemen.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Defense of the aggressor country of russia said russian authorities had also returned 95 russian prisoners of war, and that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had brokered the exchange.
The Ukrainian Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War noted that many of the returned Ukrainian prisoners of war had serious illnesses and severe injuries, and had lost weight due to torture and malnutrition in russian captivity.
ISW noted that the frequency of prisoner of war exchanges between Ukraine and russia has increased significantly since the beginning of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk Oblast on August 6, when both sides exchanged a total of 267 prisoners of war in three separate exchanges until the last exchange of prisoners of war on October 18.
"For comparison, russia and Ukraine conducted only three prisoner-of-war exchanges between January 1 and August 6, 2024. ISW continues to assess that the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk Oblast is likely to increasingly encourage russia to participate in prisoner exchanges," the analysts summarized.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Newsweek publication, citing reports from military bloggers and OSINT analysts, stated that the russian occupation forces were able to recapture a quarter of the territory of the Kursk Oblast, which was under the control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine as a result of the offensive operation launched in August 2024.
Meanwhile, the aggressor country of russia may involve military personnel from North Korea (DPRK) to fight in the territory of the Kursk Oblast. After that, they may also appear in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
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