A volunteer hugs a Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW) following a swap at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on September 14, 2024.

Russia and Ukraine conducted a major exchange of 206 prisoners on Saturday, 103 apiece, in their second such swap in two days, following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates, officials said.

The exchange was mediated by the UAE, Emirati state news agency WAM said. It was the country's eighth such mediation since the start of 2024 bringing the total number of captives exchanged through UAE mediation efforts to 1,994, it said.

" The success of the mediation efforts reflect the trust of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine in the UAE, as well as their appreciation of the UAE's role in supporting a diplomatic path to resolve the current crisis between the two countries, " and "demonstrates the cooperative and friendly relations between the UAE and both countries," added WAM.

The UAE also reaffirmed its "commitment to continuing all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, stressing the importance of dialogue, and de-escalation."

The released Ukrainians, 82 soldiers and privates and 21 officers, had been held since the early months of the war, he said.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that the 103 Russian soldiers exchanged had been taken prisoner in the border Kursk region where Ukrainian forces launched the surprise incursion in August.

Kyiv and Moscow have frequently exchanged prisoners since Russia's invasion in February 2022, and Saturday's swap was the third since Ukraine began a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region in early August.

Ukrainian officials have previously said Kyiv's forces had captured at least 600 Russian soldiers during the incursion, and that this would help it secure the return of captured Ukrainians.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman said that Kyiv had so far secured the return of 3,672 Ukrainians in 57 exchanges.