Kyiv: Ukraine has agreed to restart the prisoner exchange process with Russia following consultations mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, National Security and Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov announced on Sunday.
“As a result of these negotiations, the parties agreed to activate the Istanbul arrangements. This concerns the release of 1,200 Ukrainians,” Umerov wrote on Facebook. He added that technical consultations will soon be held to finalise procedural and organisational details, with Kyiv aiming to secure the release of captives by the winter holidays, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ukraine and Russia previously held three rounds of negotiations in Turkey in May, June and July, reaching agreements on exchanging prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers. In August, the two sides carried out another swap involving 146 prisoners, while Ukraine also returned eight residents of Russia’s Kursk region.
Russian servicemen freed in earlier exchanges are currently receiving medical and psychological assistance in Belarus before being transferred to Russia.
The United Arab Emirates has played a mediating role in the process. During the third round of peace talks in Istanbul on July 23, Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that both sides had agreed to exchange at least 1,200 prisoners each.
Earlier rounds included an “all-for-all” arrangement covering seriously ill and wounded prisoners, soldiers under the age of 25, and the transfer of bodies.
(Inputs from IANS)