MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/. As many as 248 Russian servicemen have been returned from the Kiev-controlled territory as a result of a difficult negotiation process, the Russian Defense Ministry said adding that the UAE’s mediation efforts made the soldiers’ return possible.

"On January 3, 2024, as a result of a complicated negotiation process, 248 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. The return of the Russian servicemen from captivity was made possible thanks to the humanitarian mediation of the United Arab Emirates," the statement said.

It was specified that all the released Russian servicemen are receiving necessary medical and psychological treatment. The servicemen will be airlifted on the Russian Aerospace Forces’ military-transport planes to the destinations where they will undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation in the Defense Ministry’s medical institutions.