Ukraine denies exchanging prisoners with Russia.
According to observers, if a prisoner exchange agreement can be reached with Russia, it would be a victory for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On August 30, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that a prisoner exchange with Russia was underway, stating that discussions were still in progress.
The statement came after Ukraine's Attorney General posted a comment on Facebook saying that the prisoner exchange with Russia had been completed and that the sailors and filmmaker Sentsov were on their way back.
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| Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov at a court hearing in Rostov-on-Don, Russia in 2015. Photo: Reuters |
Ukraine hopes to secure the release of dozens of prisoners, including 24 sailors detained by Russia in the Kerch Strait last year, as well as filmmaker Oleg Sentsov.
"Discussions regarding the prisoner exchange are still ongoing. Information stating that the exchange has been completed is incorrect," the Ukrainian President's Office said in a statement.
The Russian news agency Interfax also quoted a source in Moscow denying that a prisoner exchange with Kyiv had taken place.
Russian news agencies such as TASS and Interfax reported on August 29th that Russia had transferred Ukrainian filmmaker Sentsov from a prison in the Arctic to a detention facility in Moscow during negotiations with Kyiv regarding a prisoner exchange.
A court in Ukraine has also released a senior Russian journalist accused of supporting separatist elements in the country.
Reaching a prisoner exchange agreement would be a victory for Zelenskiy, who became President of Ukraine a few months ago with a promise to end the conflict in the east of the country.
Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting separatist forces in Donbass since 2014 – a conflict that has so far claimed more than 13,000 lives. Sporadic clashes continue despite ceasefire agreements.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, a top Ukrainian security official, said he hoped a prisoner exchange with Russia could take place on August 30.