I am trying to fill in some details inThis is a more detailed version of fedja's answer:
Lemma 3:
Let $A_0$ be a normal matrix, $Q$ be an arbitrary non-zero matrix.
Then each connected component $K$ of the union of closed disks of radius $\|Q\|_{op}$ centered at the eigenvalues of $A_0$ has exactly as many eigenvalues of $A_0+Q$ in it as of $A_0$.
Proof of lemma 3:
Denote the eigenvalues of $A_0$ by $\lambda_1(A_0),...,\lambda_n(A_0)$.
Define $A_t=A_0+tQ$.
By lemma 2, it suffices to show that no $A_t$ can have an eigenvalue $\lambda$ on the boundary of $K$. Let $t \in (0,1)$. Since $\lambda \in \partial K$, it satisfies $|\lambda-\lambda_j(A_0)|\ge\|Q\|_{op}$ for every $j$. Since $A_0-\lambda I$ is normal, its singular values are the absolute values of its eigenvalues, so the minimal singular value of $A_0-\lambda I$ is greater or equal to $\|Q\|_{op}$. This implies that for any non-zero vector $x$, $$|(A_0-\lambda I)x|\ge \|Q\||x|$$
and $$|t| < 1 \Rightarrow |tQx|<|Qx|\le\|Q\||x|.$$
So, by the triangle inequality $$|(A_t-\lambda I)x|=|(A_0-\lambda I)x-(-tQx)| \ge |(A_0-\lambda I)x| -|tQx| >0.$$
We have shown $\lambda$ is indeed not an eigenvector of $A_t$.
Back to the main proposition:
Lemma 34:
Let $U \in \operatorname{O}_n$,$A \in M_n$ with positive eigenvalues, and let $\delta >0$. There exists a constant $C>0$ (independent of $U,A,\delta$) such that if $|A-U|_{op} \le \delta$, then $|U-I|_{op} \le C\delta$. (In fact one can chooseThen $C=5n$)$|U-I|_{op} \le 5n|A-U|_{op}$.
Why lemma 34 implies our required result?
Taking $\delta=|A-U|_{op}$ we get: $$|A-I|_{op} \le |A-U|_{op}+|U-I|_{op} \le (C+1)|A-U|_{op}$$.$$|A-I|_{op} \le |A-U|_{op}+|U-I|_{op} \le (5n+1)|A-U|_{op}$$
Putting $A=XY,U=U_{A,B}$ this becomes:
$$ |XY-I|_{op} \le (C+1)|XY-U_{A,B}|_{op}$$$$ |XY-I|_{op} \le (5n+1)|XY-U_{A,B}|_{op}$$
Attempted proofProof of the lemma 34:
Assume by contradiction that $|U-I|_{op} > C\delta$$|U-I|_{op} > 5n|A-U|_{op}$.
Since $U-I$ is normal $|U-I|_{op} = \max{|\lambda_i-1|}$ (where the $\lambda_i$ are the eigenvalues of $U$). So, there exists an eigenvalue $\lambda$ of $U$, such that $|\lambda-1|>C\delta$$|\lambda-1|>5n|A-U|_{op}$.
Since $\lambda \in \mathbb{S}^1$ lemma (1) implies that the distance of $\lambda$ from the semi-positive $x$ axis is greater than $\frac{1}{2}C\delta$$2\frac{1}{2}n|A-U|_{op}$.
Now we use lemma 3: Take $A_0=U, Q=A-U$ here and let $K$ be the connected component of the union of disks of radius $|A-U|_{op}$ containing the "faraway" (from the positive real semi-axis) eigenvalue of $U$. Then (according to lemma 3) $A$ has at least one eigenvalue in $K$.
But this is impossible:
Since the eigenvalues of $A$ are real positive, the distance between an eigenvalue of $A$ in $K$, and the faraway eigenvalue of $U$ is at least $2\frac{1}{2}n|A-U|_{op}$. So $\operatorname{diam}(K) \ge 2\frac{1}{2}n|A-U|_{op}$.
However, $K$ is a union of at most $n$ disks of radius $|A-U|_{op}$, thus $\operatorname{diam}(K) \le 2n|A-U|_{op}$ which is a contradiction.