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Kremlin gives no comment on possible swap of Russians detained in Odessa

Ukrainian Security Service Chief Vasily Gritsak said on Friday that preparations were underway to send back to Russia two Russians detained over the 2014 Odessa riots

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS, archive

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. The Kremlin is not commenting on the possibility of exchanging two Russians detained in Odessa for Ukrainian citizens Yuri Soloshenko and Gennady Afanasyev convicted in Russia, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a reply to a TASS question on Friday.

"I can’t say anything on this issue so far," the spokesman said.

Ukrainian Security Service Chief Vasily Gritsak said on Friday that preparations were underway to send back to Russia two Russians detained over the 2014 Odessa riots.

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The preparations for returning home Russians are being made as part of the efforts to release Ukrainian nationals Yuri Soloshenko and Gennady Afanasyev convicted in Russia on the charges of terrorism and espionage, he added.

"I only want to confirm that yes, we are carrying out work for preparing this exchange and we’ll do everything possible to return all citizens, including nationals on the territory of Russia. These are 11 citizens whom we’ll return to the territory of our country," Gritsak said at a news briefing, replying to a question about whether he could confirm reports on the preparations for the swap of Soloshenko and Afanasyev for two Russian citizens detained in Odessa.

Leader of the Ukrainian Choice public organization Viktor Medvedchuk said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine daily on June 9 that Kiev would soon release two Russians who had been detained over the May 2014 riots in Odessa but didn’t disclose their names.

Media reports earlier said that Russian citizens Yevgeny Mefedov and Maxim Sakauov were in custody over the May 2 riots in Odessa.

Ukraine’s Justice Ministry turned to Russia in March with a request to transfer to Ukraine Yuri Soloshenko and Gennady Afanasyev convicted in Russia on the charges of terrorism and espionage.

In response, Russia’s Justice Ministry said these issues were regulated by the 1983 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Criminal Procedure Code of Russia.

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said last week the swap of Soloshenko and Afanasyev could take place in June.

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