Continued Russian Attacks in Eastern Ukraine; Over 200 Prisoners of War Exchanged

As fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, Moscow and Kyiv have successfully exchanged 103 prisoners of war each, mediated by the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday, September 15, that his country has returned 103 soldiers from Russian captivity. He wrote on his social media account on X, formerly Twitter: "Our people are home. We successfully return 103 more fighters from Russian captivity to Ukraine." These individuals include 82 soldiers and sergeants and 21 military officers. He published images of Ukrainian soldiers embracing each other and speaking on mobile phones. The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that it exchanged 103 Ukrainian soldiers who were in captivity for the same number of Russian prisoners of war in an agreement mediated by the UAE. This announcement came just three weeks after Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 115 prisoners of war in a deal mediated by the UAE. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian forces released in Saturday's exchange were captured during Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region, which began on August 6. The Ministry stated: "As a result of the negotiations, 103 Russian servicemen captured in the Kursk region were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime, and in exchange, 103 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian army were handed over." According to this ministry, the released Russian soldiers are now receiving psychological and medical assistance in Belarus. Ukraine claims that Russia has launched over eight thousand Shahed drones into the country. Ukrainian officials previously stated that their forces had captured at least six hundred Russian soldiers during the incursion into Kursk, and this achievement aids in the return of captured Ukrainians. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed this agreement as a "success" and thanked both parties for their cooperation on Saturday. The prisoner exchange occurred as Russia claimed to have made further advances in eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages in recent weeks. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the village of Zhelan Pershe was "liberated" less than 30 kilometers from the key logistical center of Pokrovsk, which is under Ukrainian control. Pokrovsk is located at the intersection of a key road and is an important supply and logistics center for the Ukrainian army, having long been a target for the Moscow army. More than half of the 60,000 residents of this city have fled since the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and in recent weeks, the evacuation process has intensified as the Russian army approaches. On Wednesday, the local governor of Donetsk reported that four civilians were killed and seven others injured due to over 20 separate Russian attacks. He mentioned the evacuation of over 900 people from areas under Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine. Heavy fighting continues as Russia attempts to push Ukrainian forces back from its territory. Since late August, Ukraine has regained control over approximately 1,300 square kilometers of the Kursk region. While a recent meeting between Joe Biden and Keir Starmer, the leaders of the United States and Britain, did not result in any visible change in their policies regarding long-range weapon supplies to Ukraine, Ukraine has called for these countries' agreement to use Western missiles deep into Russian territory.