KYIV, Ukraine: Ukraine has called on Russia to expedite the exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) by providing a complete list of Ukrainian detainees ready for swap.
The Ukrainian human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, emphasized Kyiv’s readiness for immediate exchanges, responding to Russia’s claims that Ukraine is hindering the process.
On Telegram, Lubinets insisted that Ukraine is fully prepared to accept its citizens, countering Russian allegations of stalling.
This comes after Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged on Saturday that Ukraine had only taken back 279 of 935 POWs Russia offered to release, reports Reuters.
Lubinets attributed delays to Russia’s actions, challenging Moscow’s narrative and calling for transparency. Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, added that Ukraine had “politicized” the prisoner exchange issue and urged Kyiv to foster a constructive dialogue. Both nations have completed multiple POW exchanges since the conflict began in 2022, with the most recent exchange in October involving 95 prisoners from each side.
