Bigest prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia started

Bigest prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia started

A significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is currently underway, as a Ukrainian source reports. The exchange began on Friday and is expected to take place for several days, with Kiev and Moscow being replacing hundreds of prisoners.

About the prisoner exchange

The agreement on the release of 1,000 prisoners from both sides was the only significant result of the meeting between Kiew" and Moscow in Istanbul last week. This was the first time that the two sides have come to Ukraine in February 2022 directly since the beginning of the unprofitable, large -scale invasion of Russia.

The meeting in Istanbul

The meeting in Istanbul was originally proposed by President Vladimir Putin, in response to an ultimatum of Kiev's European allies, which either called for an immediate ceasefire offer or sanctions. Many viewed this as a clear attempt by the Kreml guide to distract from the actual conflict and to win time.

effects on affected families

Although the return of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners is a great relief for their families and relatives, the result of the highly acclaimed meeting remains disappointing due to a lack of further progress.

regular prisoner exchanges

prisoner exchanges take place regularly, most recently at the beginning of this month. The Ukraine coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war, a government agency, announced that the exchange on May 7, where more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers returned home, the fifth exchange this year and the 64th has been in Russia since the beginning of the large -scale invasion.

claims for an armistice

The authority said that a total of 4,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released since March 2022. Ukraine and its allies called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Istanbul, but this concern remained unfulfilled. Kyiv also offered direct discussions between President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.