Kiev has delayed the exchange of captives and the delivery of deceased bodies, according to Medinsky's statement.
The planned exchange of prisoners and the return of bodies of fallen soldiers from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides, which was scheduled for June 6, 2023, has been postponed indefinitely by Ukraine. The postponement is primarily due to concerns about Russia's inconsistent adherence to humanitarian obligations and agreements related to the exchanges.
The exchange, initially planned on a "6,000 for 6,000" basis, was set to involve two categories of prisoners: the wounded and the sick, as well as those under 25 years old. Prior to this, body exchanges of military personnel had taken place on April 18 and March 28.
In the earlier exchanges, Russia received a total of 84 bodies, while Ukraine received 1818 (909 bodies in each exchange). The first exchange took place on May 16, with Russia receiving 34 bodies and Ukrainian authorities reporting the return of 909 bodies of their fallen soldiers.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky had both expressed optimism about the exchanges. Medinsky even urged Ukraine to adhere to the agreed schedule and the agreements reached in Istanbul. However, the postponement has caused frustration on both sides.
Moscow had offered to unilaterally hand over more than 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv. On June 6, Russia delivered over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to an exchange area, with 1,212 frozen bodies arriving by refrigerated trucks, and the rest en route.
However, the Ukrainian negotiating team did not arrive at the exchange location, and the Ukrainian side postponed the acceptance of bodies and the prisoner exchange to an indefinite date. Alexander Zorin, another representative of the Russian negotiating group, reported the postponement.
The lack of consistent cooperation from Russia, coupled with the continuing hostilities and absence of a ceasefire, underpins the indefinite postponement of these humanitarian arrangements in mid-2023. Ukraine’s commitment to continue exchanges depends on Russia’s adherence to agreed humanitarian norms and negotiation conditions.
Despite several rounds of prisoner exchanges and talks, larger substantive issues such as ceasefire agreements have not progressed, contributing to delays in negotiations and exchanges on either side. The ongoing challenges in these negotiations highlight the complexities and tensions that continue to exist between Ukraine and Russia.
The ongoing postponement of the prisoner exchange, initially scheduled for June 6, 2023, is linked to general news topics, including politics and war-and-conflicts, as it revolves around the tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The inconsistent adherence of Russia to humanitarian obligations related to the exchange, such as the return of bodies of fallen soldiers, has been a major concern in these negotiations. Despite previous successful body exchanges, the latest exchange was postponed indefinitely due to these concerns, causing frustration on both sides and highlighting the ongoing complexities and tensions in the political relations between Ukraine and Russia.
