Russia Agreement Reached on Another Prisoner Exchange Involving Around 1200 People
Russia: Agreement Reached on Another Prisoner Exchange Involving Around 1,200 People
Russian presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky announced that an agreement had been reached with the Ukrainian side on continuing the exchange of prisoners of war, and both parties agreed on another exchange involving approximately 1,200 individuals from each side.
Medinsky and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin spoke at a press conference following a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey, held in Istanbul with Turkey’s mediation.
Medinsky stated that the third round of negotiations had concluded, and all recent agreements on humanitarian issues had been implemented. According to him, a prisoner exchange involving around 250 servicemen along the Ukraine–Belarus line was carried out.
He emphasized that this was the final stage of a large prisoner swap involving around 1,200 people, and he also noted that an exchange of the bodies of the deceased had been completed.
Medinsky pointed out that since the fallen should be buried in their homeland, the bodies of the deceased were handed over to the Ukrainian side, though a smaller number of bodies were returned from the Russian side.
The presidential adviser also shared proposals made to the Ukrainian side during the meeting:
"First of all, we decided to create three working groups that will operate online to save taxpayer resources and funds. These are a political working group, a humanitarian group, and a group on military issues involving relevant experts."
He reported that the Ukrainian side had agreed to consider the proposal and continued:
"The second proposal is to declare a short-term ceasefire for 24–48 hours along the front line so that medical teams can retrieve the wounded and the bodies of the deceased."
Medinsky stressed that due to drone activity in the conflict zone, the proposed measure posed a serious risk to medical personnel, and added: "Every life is priceless."
He also said:
"We agreed to continue the exchange of prisoners—about 1,200 people on each side. Frankly speaking, we offered the Ukrainian side a higher number. If they can assemble a matching number on their side, the figures could be increased."
Medinsky stated that the Ukrainian side was facing technical problems, such as refrigeration units and transportation, but added:
"Nevertheless, we proposed handing over an additional 3,000 bodies to the Ukrainian side."
Russia to Transfer Bodies of Ukrainian Soldiers with Red Cross Involvement
Medinsky reported that the bodies of the deceased would be transferred to the Ukrainian side with the involvement of the Red Cross, so they can be buried in accordance with Christian traditions.
He also noted that the return of civilians displaced by hostilities was discussed, and that the exchange of bodies and wounded along the front line would continue indefinitely.
Medinsky added:
"Unfortunately, one of the points of our agreement was not fulfilled. Some prisoners from the coastal zone were returned by the Ukrainian armed forces to the region. Frankly, I don’t understand why this was done. If you captured them as Hamas-style fighters—then call them prisoners. In that case, we are ready to exchange them for our soldiers or other individuals, but we want things to be called by their proper names."
The Russian presidential adviser emphasized that both parties agreed to maintain contact at the delegation level as well as through new working groups, and said:
"Finally, I want to raise the issue of the tens of thousands of children allegedly taken from Ukraine. We have verified the complete list of 329 names and have started the process of their return. Work on other cases is also ongoing. If parents or legal guardians are found, those children will be immediately handed over. This is our priority."
"An Agreement Is Needed Before a Leaders' Summit Can Take Place"
Medinsky noted that if the parents or legal guardians of Ukrainian children are identified, the children will be handed over and their safety guaranteed.
Responding to a question about a possible meeting between the leaders, Medinsky said:
"For a leaders’ summit to happen, a prior agreement is needed. Such a meeting should have a clear agenda. It must be the conclusion of a process, not its starting point. Therefore, we must first complete this process."
When asked how many of the 329 Ukrainian children had already returned, Medinsky stated that Russia had completed work on the list provided during the last round of talks and added that many of the children listed by Ukraine had never been present in Russian territory.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin added that the issue of Russian children currently in Ukraine and European countries had also been raised during the meeting. He reported that a list of 20 Russian children and their legal guardians had been handed over to the Ukrainian side.