Russia and Ukraine introduced the trade of lots of of prisoners of battle on Wednesday, resuming the fastidiously choreographed buying and selling of captives solely every week after Moscow accused Kyiv of shooting down a Russian military transport plane that it stated was carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of battle on their strategy to be exchanged.
The reason for the crash, which occurred in Russia’s Belgorod area close to the border with Ukraine final week, stays unknown. Ukrainian officers have neither confirmed nor denied duty, have referred to as for a global investigation and stated that the Russians had supplied no conclusive proof that prisoners have been on the flight.
After the crash, households of Ukrainian prisoners fearful publicly that the episode would possibly imperil one of many few diplomatic channels left between the 2 nations, making it much less possible that they might see their family members once more.
However the means of exchanging prisoners, whereas at instances slowed down, has endured even throughout probably the most attempting moments of a war that has stretched on for practically two years.
The commerce on Wednesday was the fiftieth trade between the 2 nations for the reason that battle started, and greater than 3,000 Ukrainian troopers and civilians have returned dwelling, in line with Ukrainian officers. Whereas Russia has not disclosed a complete quantity, a minimum of 1,200 troopers have been returned, in line with statements by the nation’s officers.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who introduced the commerce in a statement on social media, stated 207 troopers and civilians had been returned. The returnees vary in age from 20 to 61.
“We return after all,” Mr. Zelensky wrote within the assertion. “We bear in mind every captive.”
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Remedy of Prisoners of Battle stated that 36 of the returned Ukrainians had “accidents or critical sicknesses.”
The Russian Ministry of Protection stated that 195 of its troopers had been returned and can be transferred for medical care. The ministry stated that an equal variety of Ukrainians had been returned. There was no speedy rationalization for the discrepancy between its figures and people introduced by Mr. Zelensky. It additionally famous the position of the United Arab Emirates in serving to dealer the deal.
The connection between Russia and the Emirates has grown nearer in recent times, with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia making a high-profile visit to the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi, in December.
The trade, nevertheless, supplied no speedy clues in regards to the thriller surrounding the downed Russian airplane or about whether or not Ukrainian prisoners have been onboard, as Russia claims.
The Ukrainian information media reported that not one of the folks returned on Wednesday have been on an inventory of 65 prisoners the Russians claimed have been killed within the crash.
Neither facet has introduced proof in regards to the crash, whilst they’ve highlighted the incident as proof of the opposite facet’s malign intent.
Talking at a gathering together with his supporters on Wednesday in Moscow, Mr. Putin stated that Russian investigators “had established it precisely” that the aircraft was shot down utilizing the American Patriot air protection system. Final week, he said that he didn’t know whether or not the Ukrainians had intentionally shot down the aircraft realizing that their very own troopers have been onboard, however that it was nonetheless against the law.
Ukraine has been stepping up its assaults inside Russia and infrequently publicly acknowledging assaults on navy targets. After the aircraft crashed, the Ukrainians asserted a proper to shoot down Russian navy planes within the border area and stated that Russia had not knowledgeable them {that a} aircraft carrying prisoners can be flying within the space. But it surely has stopped in need of taking duty for capturing down the aircraft. Russia has stated that Ukraine was knowledgeable in regards to the flight.
Ukrainian officers have stated it’s unusual {that a} week after the crash, Russia has not launched any visible proof of the our bodies of Ukrainian prisoners it claims have been killed within the crash.
Kyrylo Budanov, the pinnacle of Ukrainian navy intelligence, has stated that the Ukrainians would not have a full understanding of who was on the aircraft, however that the way in which the Russians have dealt with the episode raised many questions.
“If it occurred as Russia claims, why did Russia cover the our bodies for a number of days and why is it nonetheless hiding them?” he stated. “It ought to have proven them to the entire world: ‘Look, the Ukrainians are murderers.’ However there are not any our bodies — there’s nothing.”
Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting.