'We could not influence the list' — Ukraine reacts to reported inclusion of alleged defector in prisoner swap with Russia
Ukraine could not influence who Russia decided to release in the recent 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, said Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW), in comments for Suspilne published on May 26.
The statement came in reaction to claims that Anatolii Taranenko, a Ukrainian service member accused of collaborating with Russia, was released by Moscow during the second phase of the prisoner exchange on May 24. Multiple media outlets recorded a man resembling Taranenko during the swap.
Taranenko surrendered to Russian proxy forces in Donetsk Oblast in 2021 and was accused of seeking to defect to Russia's side and harm his fellow Ukrainian soldiers. He then appeared in the Russian media in what was described as staged propaganda stunts.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the accusations.
Ukrainian investigators are working to identify Taranenko and verify the accusations, Yusov told Suspilne, adding that "law enforcement agencies will take an appropriate response" if the claims are confirmed.
Taranenko's alleged inclusion in the exchange exacerbated criticism that Ukraine failed to secure the release of any Azov fighters and many civilians who had been held captive by Russia for years in what was the largest prisoner swap of the full-scale war.
The Russian media reported that a man named "Anatolii Taranenko" was released in the exchange, while Ukraine has not published the official lists.
"We could not influence the list. Russia handed over who it was ready to hand over, and Ukraine as well," Yusov explained, adding that the exchange was arranged in a short time frame.
The swap was the only tangible result of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on May 16, the first such negotiations in three years. The exchange, which mostly included military captives, was carried out in three phases between May 23 and 25.
Kyiv and Moscow have previously held a number of prisoner exchanges during the full-scale war, which were more limited in scope and mediated by third-party countries.
"Ukraine is fighting for every one of its citizens. We are working under extremely difficult conditions amid the full-scale invasion, and the Mariupol garrison remains one of the top priorities for repatriation," Yusov said last week.
Read also: Ukraine brings home 303 POWs in final phase of biggest prisoner swap with Russia
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