Posted 22 сентября 2022,, 07:34

Published 22 сентября 2022,, 07:34

Modified 24 декабря 2022,, 22:38

Updated 24 декабря 2022,, 22:38

Kiev announced the exchange of prisoners with the participation of the commanders of "Azov"* and Viktor Medvedchuk

Kiev announced the exchange of prisoners with the participation of the commanders of "Azov"* and Viktor Medvedchuk

22 сентября 2022, 07:34
Russia and Ukraine held an exchange of prisoners. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the exchange "an important step towards peace". In total, 215 Ukrainian fighters were exchanged, including the commanders of the Azov* battalion, the Ukrainian side claims.

This is reported by the Anadolu agency.

50 prisoners were handed over to Russia, including ex-people's deputy and leader of the Ukrainian Choice movement Viktor Medvedchuk. Denis Prokopenko and Svyatoslav Palamara "Kalina" are among the Ukrainian militants - commanders of the nationalist battalion "Azov*".

Deputy Minister of Information of the Donetsk People's Republic Daniil Bezsonov specified that during the exchange, servicemen who were captured in the Kharkov direction, as well as Russian military pilots, were released.

Moscow has not officially commented on the exchange.

Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights, said that among those released by Russia were also Britons Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin and Moroccan citizen Saadoun Brahim, who had previously been sentenced to death in the DPR for mercenarism and an attempted violent seizure of power in prior agreement. Pinner had previously appealed the verdict. All defendants pleaded guilty to all charges.

According to Ukrainian media, Kiev returned to the Russian side two senior officers (lieutenant colonel and major), six junior officers, four ensigns, 40 privates and sergeants, two DPR servicemen, one LPR serviceman.

*terrorist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation

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