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Military operation in Ukraine

Russia, Ukraine continue exchanges of prisoners of war — Russia’s chief negotiator

"Arrangements have been also put in place regarding the exchange of severely wounded military servicemen from the frontline," Vladimir Medinsky noted

MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine continue with prisoners of war swaps and set up sanitary exchanges of severely wounded persons, Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian presidential aide and head of the Russian delegation to the negotiations with Ukraine, said on Monday.

"Prisoners exchanges continue," he wrote on his Telegram channel. "Arrangements have been also put in place regarding the exchange of severely wounded military servicemen from the frontline."

Medinsky stated that Russia had met its obligations under the Istanbul agreements handing to the Ukrainian side over 6,060 bodies of their military servicemen.

According to Medinsky, Russia has received 78 bodies of Russian soldiers from the Ukrainian side.

Istanbul accords

Russia and Ukraine reached a humanitarian agreement during talks in Istanbul on June 2, which specifically provides for an exchange of the wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, as well as soldiers under 25.

They also agreed that Russia will transfer the bodies of over 6,000 Ukrainian troops to Kiev. On June 7, Ukraine suddenly postponed the acceptance of the bodies and the prisoner swap, Medinsky said.

The first group of Russian soldiers under 25 returned to Russia on June 9. An aircraft carrying the second group of troops arrived in Russia on June 10. The third group was airlifted to Russia on June 12. All of them will undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation.

According to the Russian defense ministry, another group of Russian prisoners of war was transferred to Russia on June 14. In exchange, Russia handed over a group of Ukrainian troops.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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