MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Kiev is only interested in exchanging prisoners from its extremist battalions, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"The Kiev regime is literally sabotaging this process (prisoner exchange - TASS), which has been institutionalized and has been yielding results. Why? Because they are focused only on the exchange of militants, members of nationalist battalions. They are interested in those battalions and those of their members who we brand as extremist and terrorist," she told a briefing.

According to the Russian diplomat, Kiev is also "interested in the fate of foreign mercenaries who took part in combat operations against Russia." "I would repeat it once again, they are interested in the fate of prisoners either from nationalist and extremist battalions and units or foreign mercenaries. But due to some unknown reason, the Kiev regime shows little interest to its own citizens, its regular servicemen and those mobilized," she stressed.

She said that exchanges of prisoners of war are carried out between Russia and Ukraine on a regular basis and according to a well-established scheme. "There are proper mechanisms in operation, there are well-established channels and authorized persons who are engaged in this process," she added.