Kiev Delays Prisoner Exchange and Holds Back Deceased Remains, According to Medinsky
The much-anticipated prisoner exchange and body delivery between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for June 6, has been unexpectedly postponed, according to Russian top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky. The postponement comes as a result of Ukraine's refusal to accept the bodies of deceased soldiers and the delay in the exchange of prisoners of war.
On June 6, Russia delivered over 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen to the exchange zone, accompanied by a list of 640 prisoners of war for the first stage of the swap. However, the Ukrainian side did not proceed as agreed, and Ukrainian negotiators did not show up at the exchange site.
Moscow offered to unilaterally transfer more than 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv on a "6,000 for 6,000" basis. The exchange will involve two categories of prisoners: the wounded and the severely ill, as well as those under 25 years old, as agreed following the second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks held in Istanbul on June 2.
Ukraine, however, denies causing the delay. According to Ukraine's Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Russia submitted lists of prisoners that did not meet the previously agreed parameters for the swap. Ukraine states that it had provided Russia with comments on these lists, and the next move was awaited from the Russian side.
The broader context involves Russia and Ukraine having agreed at peace talks in Istanbul to exchange all wounded soldiers and prisoners of war under 25. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had expected the exchange to occur the weekend following those talks, while Russia expressed readiness for it to happen on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
In light of the disagreements, Vladimir Medinsky urged Ukraine to adhere to the agreed schedule and the agreements reached in Istanbul and "immediately proceed with the exchange." Prior to this, body exchanges of servicemen occurred on April 18 and March 28, with Russia receiving a total of 84 bodies and Ukraine receiving 1818 (909 bodies in each exchange).
The prisoner exchange was planned to be the largest to date, with up to 1200 people planned to be exchanged from each side, prioritizing categories such as wounded, severely ill, and military personnel under 25 years old. The first round of talks in Istanbul took place on May 16, following which Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange under the formula "1000 for 1000". The previous body exchange took place on May 16, with Moscow receiving 34 bodies, and Ukrainian authorities reporting the return of 909 bodies of their fallen soldiers.
As of now, the exact date for the rescheduled exchange remains unspecified. Three more train columns, each with 1,200 bodies, and one motorized column with another 1,200 bodies are being prepared for departure. The bodies of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers arrived at the exchange zone in refrigerated trucks.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-prisoner-exchange-postponed-ukraine-did-not-accept-bodies-2021-06-06/ [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57458353
- The delay in the ‘new prisoner exchange and body delivery' between Russia and Ukraine, initially scheduled for June 6, has led to a contentious discussion in both 'general-news' and 'politics', as each side blames the other for the unforeseen postponement.
- In the current 'war-and-conflicts' scenario, the future of the rescheduled prisoner exchange, which prioritized the exchange of wounded, severely ill, and military personnel under 25 years old, remains uncertain, with the exact date yet to be determined.
