Those were the first words spoken by one Russia n soldier to his family after being released in a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine on Friday. When asked by a relative, “Are you happy?”, the soldier responded, “Of course.”

Russia and Ukraine each returned 205 prisoners of war as part of the agreement, making it one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the conflict began. The United Arab Emirates reportedly mediated the deal.

The exchange led to emotional phone calls and reunions as hundreds of soldiers contacted relatives after months or years in captivity.

One family member described the atmosphere following the news of the release: “We're absolutely delighted, of course. We're all completely stunned. It's been hectic here since yesterday; we've been waiting for you and getting everything ready.”

Another relative explained how they first learned about the exchange: “We love you so much; we've been waiting for you for so long. Then I saw a text message pop up in the chatbot saying you'd been swapped. It caused quite a commotion straight away.”

One released prisoner spoke about returning home after captivity, saying: “It's an indescribable feeling: our country hasn't forgotten us and has brought us home. It's an indescribable feeling, a really wonderful one. I'm looking forward to seeing my family; I've missed them terribly.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said the returned group included members of the armed forces, national guard, and border services . Some had reportedly been detained since the early stages of the invasion.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the released servicemen were transported to Moscow for medical and psychological assessments. Footage released after the exchange showed soldiers receiving food and making phone calls to relatives shortly after their release.

Although fighting continues, prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas where both sides have maintained negotiations. The latest deal brings the total number of exchanged prisoners this year to more than 1,000, with officials indicating that discussions over further releases are continuing.