Russia, Ukraine Trade Accusations Over Delays In Prisoner Exchange

Ukrainian officials have rejected Russian accusations that Kyiv is stalling the exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of fallen soldiers’ bodies, calling on Moscow to stop “playing dirty games.”

The denial came after Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky on June 7 alleged that Ukraine had unexpectedly postponed both the exchange of prisoners and the acceptance of soldiers’ bodies for an indefinite period. Medinsky said Russia had already provided Ukraine with a list of 640 prisoners — prioritizing the wounded, seriously ill, and young people — to initiate the exchange process.
Responding to Medinsky on Telegram, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War asserted that Russia’s claims do not align with reality or previously established agreements.

According to Ukrainian officials, while both sides had agreed in principle to repatriate the bodies of approximately 12,000 dead soldiers following peace talks in Istanbul, no specific date had been set for the exchange.

“The Russian side has resorted to unilateral actions that were not agreed upon within the framework of the process,” the Ukrainian statement said, emphasizing that Moscow’s recent moves and public statements were outside the mutually established procedures.

Separately, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry accused Moscow of attempting to “rewrite” the agreements reached in Istanbul and of creating “artificial obstacles and false statements” to delay the process. The ministry warned that if Russia reneges on its promises, it raises questions about the credibility of the Russian negotiating team

Ukrainian officials called on Russia to return to “constructive work” and abide by the agreements reached at the negotiating table, rather than engaging in what they described as political maneuvering.

Ukraine also noted that it had submitted its own list of names for prisoner exchange, but criticized Russia’s list for not adhering to the agreed prioritization of prisoners, which was to focus on the youngest and most severely wounded./Rferl/