Professional-Kremlin Ukrainian opposition politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was captured again in April, is being exchanged with Russia as a part of a prisoner swap, in line with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky stated 200 Ukrainian prisoners had returned residence in change for Medvedchuk.
“At first, we had been supplied to return 50 of our folks in change for a kind of within the detention heart of the Safety Service of Ukraine. We talked. We insisted. The variety of 50 elevated to 200,” Zelensky stated throughout his nightly handle.
Vasyl Maliuk, the performing head of the Ukrainian safety service, stated Medvedchuk “is not only a godfather to Putin’s baby, but additionally a documented by us as a traitor.”
“Furthermore, whereas engaged on the Medvedchuk case, we’ve neutralized a number of agent networks, detained a number of traitors, and acquired quite a lot of useful info that we’re utilizing for counterintelligence and can convey us nearer to our victory,” Maliuk added.
5 Ukrainian commanders had been included within the prisoner swap, as had been 55 prisoners to be despatched to Russia, in line with Zelensky.
It is unclear whether or not the 55 prisoners are all Russians or pro-Russians, however Zelensky described them as folks “who fought in opposition to Ukraine, and those that betrayed Ukraine.”
In line with Andrii Yermak, head of the Workplace of the President of Ukraine, a complete of 215 prisoners of struggle have been launched as a part of an change of POWs between Russia and Ukraine, together with ten overseas prisoners.
Amongst these freed at present from captivity, there are 108 Azov fighters and different formations,” Yermak stated. These fighters from the controversial Azov Battalion, a part of the Nationwide Guard of Ukraine, which Russia has beforehand referred to as neo-Nazis.
Yermak additionally stated 10 foreigners had been amongst these swapped.
“Based mostly on the requests of our worldwide companions, we’ve additionally returned 10 overseas defenders of Ukraine. These are the representatives of these nations, who help us probably the most – america, Nice Britain, Croatia, Sweden and Morocco,” Yermak stated.
The top of the State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov, stated, “They’re secure and liberated from captivity. We’re at the moment within the Saudi Arabia capital – Riyadh. The additional secure switch is deliberate from right here to their nations with our companions.” Yermak added.
The Coordinating Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Struggle (CHTPW), a authorities establishment beneath the Protection Intelligence, stated 5 British and two People are among the many ten overseas prisoners.
“It must be famous that the discharge of overseas troopers from captivity happened as a part of the most important change for the reason that full-scale invasion of Russia,” CHTPW stated Thursday.
“The liberated heroes are ready for rehabilitation and adaptation; they’ll obtain the mandatory remedy,” CHTPW added.
