MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Russia has returned 103 servicemen from the Kiev-controlled territory and handed over 103 prisoners of war to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said.

TASS has compiled the main details about the exchange.

Prisoner exchange

- On August 19, Russia returned 103 military personnel from Ukrainian captivity, the Defense Ministry said.

- It handed over 103 prisoners of war to Ukraine.

- The United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation, the ministry added.

- The Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus.

- Russian ombudsman Yana Lantratova is assisting them.

- After receiving necessary psychological and medical assistance, the servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation.

Statements by the ombudsman

- Among the Russian fighters returned from Ukraine, "there are fathers with many children, and there are very young guys," Lantratova said.

- Of these, "31 wounded servicemen were returned."

- She said that "everything possible will be done to ensure that our defenders return home."

- Now the returned fighters "need treatment, care, and time to recover," Lantratova told reporters.

Preparation for the exchange

- Earlier, Lantratova said that Ukraine is guided by a selective principle when deciding on the return of its citizens as part of prisoner exchanges.

- "Lists are currently being approved -- separately for the military personnel and separately for civilians," she said earlier in an interview with TASS.

- "Separate negotiations are being conducted for each list."

- On August 12, Lantratova published a list of 224 people whom Ukraine refuses to accept as part of the exchange.

- On August 13, Lantratova published another list of 273 Ukrainian military personnel whom Russia is ready to hand over as part of an exchange at any time.

Previous exchanges

- On June 26, Russia returned 160 Russian military personnel from Ukrainian captivity; in return, 160 Ukrainian military personnel were handed over to Ukraine.

- On June 5, Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners under a "185 for 185" formula.

- On May 15, 205 Russian military personnel were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over.

- On May 8, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said that Russia had agreed to US President Donald Trump’s initiative for a truce with Ukraine from May 9 to May 11 and to conducting a prisoner exchange with Kiev during this period in the "1,000 for 1,000" format.

- Even before Trump’s proposal, Russia had sent Ukraine a plan for an exchange of prisoners of war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 9.

- On May 9, Ushakov said that Russia and Ukraine were actively working on lists of prisoners of war, and if agreements were reached, the exchange would begin.