Russia announces willingness to prioritize POW swap with Ukraine

(MENAFN) Russia has signaled its willingness to prioritize and expedite a prisoner exchange and the return of fallen soldiers’ remains, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin stated following recent negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.

The comments come after Moscow accused Kiev of refusing to accept both prisoners of war and over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies, citing what it called “strange” excuses. During the June 2 talks in Türkiye, both sides agreed to a significant exchange, focusing on severely wounded individuals and prisoners under the age of 25. Russia also unilaterally offered to return the remains of thousands of deceased Ukrainian troops as a humanitarian gesture.

Fomin explained that Russia made clear its readiness to handle the exchange quickly and efficiently. Upon returning to Moscow, Russian officials began logistical preparations, even deploying technical teams to the Belarus-Ukraine border to finalize the handover process.

Despite these steps, Fomin noted that Ukraine has not yet confirmed its participation or provided a reason for the delay. Ukrainian representatives reportedly failed to appear at the scheduled meeting point.

He expressed optimism that Kiev would eventually fulfill the commitments made during the talks, stressing that Russia remains prepared to carry out the agreement.

The first round of direct negotiations in Istanbul last month had led to a successful large-scale prisoner swap between the two countries.

MENAFN18062025000045015687ID1109689970