Russia accuses Ukraine of delaying a prisoner exchange. Ukraine states that no exchange was planned for Saturday and speaks of Russian manipulation.
Russian authorities state that Ukraine has postponed an agreed prisoner exchange on Saturday “indefinitely”. A Ukrainian delegation allegedly did not come to an agreed location. Russia states that they wanted to hand over 1,212 fallen Ukrainian soldiers there.
Ukraine says that the exchange has not been postponed, but that no concrete date was agreed upon. In addition, not everyone on the Russian list of names would meet the agreements of this exchange. According to Ukraine, Russia is now playing a “dirty game” to manipulate the process.
Ukraine and Russia made agreements this week in Istanbul about a new prisoner exchange. The two countries would exchange wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war and prisoners of war under the age of 25. Both sides must transfer more than a thousand prisoners. Bodies of fallen soldiers must also be returned.