The Ministry of Defense called on Russia not to create artificial obstacles and false statements in order not to return Ukrainian prisoners and not to take their prisoners to Russia. The Russian side is trying to "replay" the agreements on exchanges reached during the negotiations in Istanbul on June 2. This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, reports UNN.
We call on the Russian side not to create artificial obstacles and false statements in order not to return Ukrainian prisoners and not to take their prisoners to Russia. In Istanbul, the Russians gave a clear promise - starting from these days, to exchange prisoners according to certain categories (severely wounded, wounded, born after 2000) and to begin the phased repatriation of the bodies of the dead - Russian to Russia, Ukrainian to Ukraine
The ministry stressed that the Ukrainian side, unfortunately, faced another attempt to "replay" the agreements post factum.
If the Russian side now refuses what was promised in Istanbul, this once again raises the question of the level and ability of the Russian negotiating group. The agreements that have been reached must be implemented exactly as discussed in Istanbul and during subsequent technical consultations
Let us remind
Assistant to the head of the Kremlin Vladimir Putin, head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky said that Russia allegedly started the implementation of the return of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and the exchange of prisoners and accused Ukraine of the fact that the Ukrainian side allegedly unexpectedly postponed it indefinitely.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War responded to the words of the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky, noting that in fact the terms of the start of repatriation measures were agreed on Tuesday with authorized representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the aggressor state and should begin as planned next week. Everything that is happening today is another performance of enemy special services.
Ukraine and the Russian Federation agreed to exchange all seriously ill prisoners of war and persons under the age of 25.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the return of the bodies of the fallen will take place immediately after the exchange of prisoners.
The exchange of bodies of dead servicemen of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which was agreed in Istanbul, should begin next week.