Ukraine and Russia appear to be moving toward a fresh prisoner of war (POW) exchange and the repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains, following a June 2 agreement. However, over the weekend both sides traded accusations of delays and unmet commitments.
Sticking Points
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia is ready to honor the deal but accused Kyiv of failing to collect bodies and confirm a date. “The Ukrainian side has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war,” said Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky on social media.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War responded that no date had been agreed for returning bodies, and accused Russia of playing “dirty games” by not adhering to the agreed parameters. A defense ministry spokesperson noted that Ukraine is still waiting for a confirmed date to start the first phase of the swap.
Scale and Timing
Should the exchange proceed, it would surpass last month’s 1,000-for-1,000 swap agreed during initial talks in Istanbul. After those talks in Türkiye, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the swap would happen over the weekend, while Russia indicated readiness for Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Ukraine said on Sunday that the planned exchange of captured soldiers would begin “next week,” setting the stage for what could become the largest POW transfer of the conflict.
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Ukraine and Russia seem set for POW swap after days of accusations
cgtn.com
