Dispute over prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv – Diepresse.com

Dispute over a new prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine: While Moscow accused the tour of Kiev on Saturday to delay the exchange of war prisoners and soldiers planned for the weekend, it said from Kiev, Moscow pursued “dirty games”. Meanwhile, the Russian armed forces covered Ukraine with a series of rocket, drone and bomb attacks, in which at least ten people were killed.

The prisoner exchange had been agreed in the recent negotiations in Istanbul. The agreement provided for all injured soldiers and all under the age of 25, more than a thousand soldiers on each side. Russia had also promised to hand over the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed. It would have been the greatest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the Russian attack war in February 2022.

Ukraine « unexpectedly postponed the corner and the exchange of prisoners of war, » said Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinski in online services. « We ask Kiev to strictly adhere to the schedule and all agreements made and to start the exchange immediately, » he added.

Allegation of « manipulations »

Kiev then accused Moscow of « manipulations ». The Ukrainian coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war said on Saturday that there was no specific date for the return of the corpses. The list of prisoners that Moscow allegedly release did not correspond to the conditions of the agreement. « We ask the Russian side to stop and return to constructive work with the dirty games » so that the prisoner exchange could be implemented in the coming days, it continued.

Charkiw in particular affected by new Russian attacks

The city of Charkiw in the northeast of Ukraine was particularly affected by the new Russian attacks, which, according to its mayor Igor Terechow, was exposed to the “strongest attack since the beginning of the war”. Four people were killed in the attacks and more than 20 more injured. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the attacks were directed against residential buildings and were partly carried out with steering bombs. Three other people were killed in the Donetsk and Cherson regions.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia had 206 drones flying attacks on the night alone and fired nine rockets. « To put an end to Russia’s killing and destroy, more pressure on Moscow is required, as is further steps to strengthen Ukraine, » said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha in online services. All efforts for at least temporary fire break in the Ukraine War have failed so far.

On Saturday, at least three people had been killed in the highest Russian air raids on the competitive city of Charkiw in the northeast of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported a total of 206 Russian drone attacks and nine fired rockets that had been warded off. (APA/AFP)