Large -related prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia

Large -related prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia

A significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is currently underway, reports a Ukrainian source that is familiar with the events.

Start of the exchange

The exchange started on Friday and is expected to take place for several days, with Kiev and Moscow exchanging hundreds of prisoners.

agreement and background

The agreement to leave 1,000 prisoners each was the only noteworthy result of the meeting between Moscow in Istanbul last week. This was the first time that the two sides since the beginning of the comprehensive, unjustified invasion of Russia in Ukraine met directly in February 2022.

The background of the meeting

The meeting in Istanbul was originally proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in response to an ultimatum of Kiev's European allies, which either included an armistice or sanctions. Many saw this as a clear attempt by the Kremlin chief to distract and win the time.

reactions and expectations

Although the return of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners is a great relief for their families and relatives, the result of the meeting remains rather disappointing in view of the high expectations.

regular prisoner exchanges

prisoner exchanges take place regularly, the youngest occurred at the beginning of this month. The Ukrainian coordination center for the treatment of prisoners of war, a government agency, announced that the exchange on May 7, in which over 200 Ukrainian soldiers returned home, the fifth exchange this year and the 64th has been by Russia since the beginning of the extensive invasion. The authority indicated that a total of 4,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released since March 2022.

claims and negotiations

Ukraine and its allies in Istanbul called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire from Russia, which, however, did not come about. Kyiv also offered direct discussions between President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.