The detainees, including Swedish and Moroccan nationals, were taken to the Gulf kingdom, from where they will be repatriated, the official Saudi Press Agency said, adding that their freedom was part of an exchange. James Cleverley, Britain’s foreign secretary, welcomed the release of the prisoners of war and one civilian, including five British nationals. “Unfortunately this was not the case for one of those arrested and our thoughts remain with the family of Paul Urey,” Cleverly said in a statement. Urey, 45, an aid worker, reportedly died in custody in July after being captured by pro-Russian separatists. He cleverly thanked the president of Ukraine and Prince Mohammed for the release of the prisoners. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken welcomed the exchange, which he said included two American citizens who were captured while serving in the Ukrainian military. “The United States values ​​Ukraine, including all prisoners of war, regardless of nationality, in its negotiations, and we look forward to reuniting these American citizens with their families,” he said. Russia has captured a number of foreign volunteers fighting with the Ukrainian army since it launched the invasion in February. Among them were two British prisoners who, in footage broadcast by Russian television, begged for a prisoner exchange. Volunteers from the US, Germany and France, among other Western countries, have been reported killed in action in Ukraine. The release announcement came hours after Vladimir Putin ordered a partial call-up of Russian reserves following a series of military setbacks and threatened nuclear war if Russia’s “territorial integrity” was attacked. Moscow announced the “partial mobilization” of 300,000 reservists ahead of heavily staged votes in four occupied Ukrainian regions to become part of Russia. Western officials have estimated that there are currently between 150,000 and 190,000 Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia’s mediation came after the kingdom, a traditional US ally, chose to remain largely neutral over the invasion of Ukraine, saying it would offer its services for mediation. The Gulf kingdom has partnered with Russia in the OPEC+ group that decides oil production. Russia has separately sought to negotiate a prisoner swap with Washington that would free basketball star Brittney Griner, who was jailed in Russia on drug charges, for an arms dealer in a US prison. Additional reporting by Andrew England in London and Felicia Schwartz in New York