Olha Kurtmallaieva (left) hugs her husband Ruslan, 32, draped in a Ukrainian national flag, a released prisoner of war who was captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022, upon his arrival after a prisoner exchange in the Chernihiv region, at an undiclosed location on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
Olha Kurtmallaieva (left) hugs her husband Ruslan, 32, draped in a Ukrainian national flag, a released prisoner of war who was captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022, upon his arrival after a prisoner exchange in the Chernihiv region, at an undiclosed location on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

Moscow and Kyiv will each release a total of 500 prisoners of war over Thursday and Friday, Russia's top negotiator said, with the Russian defense ministry saying the first 200 on each side had already been swapped.

"There will be an exchange of prisoners of war with Ukraine. 500 for 500," Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky wrote on Telegram, adding it was part of agreements reached at trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Geneva searching for an end to the conflict.

The Russian defense ministry said the UAE and US helped mediate Thursday's exchange of 200 captured Russian soldiers for 200 captured Ukrainians. (AFP)