A big-scale prisoner change between Russia and Ukraine – the one concrete final result of peace talks – was doubtful Saturday, June 7 after Moscow and Kyiv accused one another of delaying and thwarting the swap. The hold-up to an change that either side stated would happen this weekend got here hours Moscow’s military launched a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs throughout Ukraine.
At talks in Istanbul on Monday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to launch all wounded troopers and people aged under-25 that had been captured – greater than 1,000 folks on either side. Russia stated it will additionally hand again 6,000 killed Ukrainian troopers.
Moscow on Saturday accused Ukraine of not turning as much as acquire the useless our bodies and never agreeing on a date to swap the captured troopers, whereas Kyiv stated Russia was taking part in “soiled video games” by not sticking to the agreed parameters for the change.
“The Ukrainian facet has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite interval, each the acceptance of the our bodies and the change of prisoners of struggle,” Russia’s prime negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated on social media. A protection ministry spokesperson stated “the Ukrainian facet continues to be refraining from setting a date” for the primary stage of the POW swap.
‘Soiled video games’
The change was set to be the biggest of the struggle, topping final month’s 1,000-for-1,000 swap that was agreed at a primary spherical of talks in Istanbul. After the Istanbul talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated it will happen this weekend, whereas Russia stated it was prepared for Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Responding to Russia’s accusations, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Struggle stated no date had been agreed for the return of our bodies. It additionally stated an inventory of names Russia stated can be launched didn’t match the phrases of the settlement. “Sadly, as a substitute of constructive dialogue, we’re once more confronted with manipulations,” it stated in an announcement on social media.
“We name on the Russian facet to cease taking part in soiled video games and return to constructive work to convey folks again to either side and to obviously implement the settlement within the coming days,” it added.
The spat got here hours after Russia launched an enormous aerial assault throughout Ukraine, closely focusing on town of Kharkiv. No less than eight folks have been killed within the in a single day barrage and frontline shelling in whole, officers stated.
