Ukraine and Russia freed more than 200 prisoners of war in the latest exchange ahead of the new year.

Russia's Defense Ministry said 82 Russian soldiers had been released by Ukraine, while the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Russia had handed over 140 Ukrainian service personnel.

Some of the 132 Ukrainian men and eight women who were freed had been wounded or had fought to defend the Black Sea port city of Mariupol, and on Snake Island, Yermak said in a message on his Telegram page.

The two sides have exchanged hundreds of captured soldiers in several prisoner exchanges in recent months, despite a complete breakdown in broader diplomatic talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

In September, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners of war due to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's mediation and diplomatic traffic conducted with the countries leaders.