Kyiv/Moscow, June 20 (IANS) Russia and Ukraine carried out another prisoner swap on Friday, said the Russian defence ministry.
In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements on June 2 in Istanbul, a group of Russian military personnel was returned from the territory controlled by Ukraine on June 20, the ministry said, not giving the number of released prisoners.
“In return, a group of prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was transferred,” it added.
The Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus and being given necessary psychological and medical assistance, it said. All Russian military personnel will be transported to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian defense ministry, it added, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said that the returned captives include sergeants and soldiers from the Ukrainian Navy, Land Forces, Territorial Defence, Airborne Forces and other units.
All released servicemen will receive medical examination, treatment and rehabilitation at medical facilities, the headquarters said.
During their latest round of talks in Turkey’s Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine agreed on an “all-for-all” exchange involving seriously ill and wounded prisoners, as well as soldiers under the age of 25.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow is prepared to hand over the bodies of an additional 3,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
“We have returned the bodies of 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers. We are ready to hand over nearly 3,000 more,” he said during a meeting with the heads of leading international news agencies in Saint Petersburg.
“These are, I repeat, sad and tragic figures,” Putin said.
According to Putin, the peace talks in Istanbul make sense and have a positive outcome.
“We have already agreed on the exchange of 1,200 prisoners. We have released 500 so far — received back 400, and I believe we will get everyone we are supposed to receive. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to talk about this. We have returned more than 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, while receiving only 57 in return. We are now ready to hand over another 3,000. This is still a positive result of the talks in Istanbul,” the Russian leader said.
The second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul on June 2.
During the meeting, the delegations discussed the possibility of a ceasefire. They also talked about preparations for a new exchange of prisoners of war.
In particular, the parties agreed on a new exchange of certain categories of prisoners, as well as a mutual exchange of bodies of fallen soldiers on the front lines based on a 6,000-for-6,000 formula.
The first stage of the prisoner exchange took place on June 9. The second and third rounds followed on June 11 and 13.
On June 14, the parties carried out the fourth prisoner exchange.
As part of these exchanges, the bodies of 3,600 fallen soldiers have been returned to Ukraine.
–IANS
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