Latest news with #AleksandarVasovic
Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
Prisoner exchange follows Istanbul talks on June 2 Emotional reunions as POWs return home Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on ending the war By Aleksandar Vasovic and Vladyslav Smilianets lt of direct talks between the two sides in Istanbul on June 2 that resulted in an agreement to exchange at least 1,200 POWs on each side and to repatriate thousands of bodies of those killed in Russia's war in Ukraine. The return of POWs and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead is one of the few things the two sides have managed to agree on as broader negotiations have failed to get close to ending the war, now in its fourth year. Fighting has raged on, with Russia saying on Monday its forces had taken control of more territory in Ukraine's east-central region of Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv saying Moscow had launched its largest drone attack of the war. Officials in Kyiv said some of the Ukrainian prisoners who came home on Monday had been in Russian captivity since the beginning of the war. At a rendezvous point for the returning Ukrainian prisoners, soon after they crossed back into northern Ukraine, an official handed one of the freed men a cellphone so that he could call his mother, a video released by Ukrainian authorities showed. 'Hi mum, I've arrived, I'm home!' the soldier shouted into the receiver, struggling to catch his breath because he was overcome by emotion. The released Ukrainian men were later taken by bus to a hospital in northern Ukraine where they were to have medical checks and be given showers, food and care packages including mobile phones and shoes. Jubilation was tinged with sadness because outside the hospital were crowds of people, mostly women, looking for relatives who went missing while fighting for Ukraine. The women held up pictures of the missing men in the hope that one of the returning POWs would recognised them and share details about what happened to them. Some hoped their loved ones would be among those released. Oksana Kupriyenko, 52, was holding up an image of her son, Denys, who went missing in September 2024. 'Tomorrow is my birthday and I was hoping God will give me a gift and return my son to me,' she said, through tears. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE Neither side said how many prisoners had been swapped on Monday, but the Russian Defence Ministry said in its own statement that the same number of military personnel had been exchanged on each side. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said at the weekend that a first list of 640 POWs had been handed to Ukraine. The Russian military said its returned servicemen were now in Belarus, a close Russian ally, where they were receiving psychological and medical assistance before being transferred to Russia for further care. Footage broadcast by Russia's RIA state news agency showed a group of freed Russian soldiers on board a coach raising their hands in the air and shouting: 'Hurrah we're home.' The same group was shown holding a Russian flag and chanting 'Russia! Russia!' before boarding the coach. 'It is very difficult to convey what I'm feeling inside now. But I am very happy, proud and grateful to everyone who took part in this process, in the exchange and bringing us home,' said one freed Russian soldier. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had received a first group of prisoners from Russia and that it would take several days to complete the swap. Both sides say the intention for this round of prisoner swaps is also to hand over people who are gravely ill or severely injured. The people seen being handed over so far on Monday appeared to be fit and well. 'Today's exchange has begun. It will be done in several stages in the coming days,' Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app. 'The process is quite complex, with many sensitive details, and negotiations continue virtually every day. We count on the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements reached during the meeting in Istanbul. We are doing everything possible to bring back every single person.'
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
"Mum, I'm home!" Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
By Aleksandar Vasovic , Reuters Ukrainian prisoners of war wrapped in Ukrainian national flags hug each other following an exchange at an undisclosed location, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Photo: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war under the age of 25 in emotional homecoming scenes, the first step in a series of planned prisoner swaps that could become the biggest of the war so far. The exchange, announced by both sides, was the result of direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June that resulted in an agreement to conduct an exchange of at least 1200 POWs on each side and to repatriate thousands of bodies of those killed in the war. The return of POWs and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead is one of the few things the two sides have been able to agree on, even as their broader negotiations have failed to get close to ending Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Fighting has raged on, with Russia saying on Monday its forces had taken control of more territory in Ukraine's east-central region of Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv saying Moscow had launched its largest drone attack of the war. Officials in Kyiv said some of the Ukrainian prisoners who came home on Monday had been in Russian captivity since the beginning of the war. At a rendezvous point for the returning Ukrainian prisoners, soon after they crossed back into northern Ukraine, an official handed one of the freed men a cellphone so that he could call his mother, a video released by Ukrainian authorities showed. "Hi mum, I've arrived, I'm home!" the soldier shouted into the receiver, struggling to catch his breath because he was overcome by emotion. In a second video clip distributed by Ukrainian officials, one returned prisoner could be seen talking on the phone to a relative of another man still in captivity. For relatives of missing Ukrainians, returning prisoners can be the only source of news about their loved ones. "Don't worry, everything is okay with him," the soldier told the relative, a woman called Tania whose tearful voice could be heard on the other end of the call. Neither side said how many prisoners had been swapped on Monday, but the Russian Defence Ministry said in its own statement that the same number of military personnel had been exchanged on each side. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said at the weekend that a first list of 640 POWs had been handed to Ukraine. The Russian military said its returned servicemen were now in Belarus, a close Russian ally, where they were receiving psychological and medical assistance before being transferred to Russia for further care. Footage broadcast by Russia's RIA state news agency showed a group of freed Russian soldiers on board a coach raising their hands in the air and shouting: "Hurrah we're home." The same group was shown holding a Russian flag and chanting "Russia! Russia!" before boarding the coach. "It is very difficult to convey what I'm feeling inside now. But I am very happy, proud and grateful to everyone who took part in this process, in the exchange and bringing us home," said one freed Russian soldier. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country had received a first group of prisoners from Russia and that it would take several days to complete the swap. Both sides say the intention for this round of prisoner swaps is also to hand over people who are gravely ill or severely injured. The people seen being handed over so far on Monday appeared to be fit and well. "Today's exchange has begun. It will be done in several stages in the coming days," Zelensky said on the Telegram app. "The process is quite complex, with many sensitive details, and negotiations continue virtually every day. We count on the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements reached during the meeting in Istanbul. We are doing everything possible to bring back every single person." The Kremlin had said earlier on Monday that Russia was ready to honour agreements with Ukraine on the POW exchange and on the repatriation of dead soldiers despite what it said was Kyiv's failure to fully honour its side of the bargain. Ukraine had denied allegations of postponing the prisoner swaps. - Reuters
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US sanctions hit Serbian oil firm NIS' operations despite waivers
By Robert Harvey and Aleksandar Vasovic LONDON/BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian oil firm NIS is struggling to buy oil from traders abroad, while at home its former clients are seeking alternative fuel suppliers as pending U.S. sanctions have impacted operations, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. NIS is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom Neft and Gazprom and as such is one of Russia's last remaining oil assets in Europe. It is crucial to Serbia's energy security as it operates the Balkan country's only oil refinery. It is hard for other companies to work around NIS because its dominant position in the Serbian market is compounded by logistical constraints in the landlocked country. NIS supplies around 80% of Serbia's gasoline and diesel, and 90% or more of jet fuel and heavy fuel oil, according to one trader. But the company's recent struggles highlight what could come if U.S. sanctions take effect, with President Aleksandar Vucic warning that Serbia could lose access to oil imports. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated NIS AD Novi Sad a sanctioned entity on January 10, giving Gazprom Neft 45 days to exit its investment, before extending that deadline with back-to-back 30-day waivers. NIS, which usually buys crude in long-term contracts, cancelled its 2025 tender, according to its procurement site. It is instead making shorter-term purchases in the spot market from international trading houses still willing to do business with it, two of the sources told Reuters. NIS' crude procurement changes have not previously been reported. NIS said it recently successfully closed a deal to buy oil in accordance with the waiver, and was sourcing crude from multiple suppliers. It did not give details. "The company is adapting its business activities to the newly-arisen circumstances," it told Reuters. NIS' crude imports via Croatia's Omisalj port - where 80% of the company's crude supply arrives via the Janaf pipeline - are averaging around 28,000 barrels per day this year, according to global real-time data and analytics provider Kpler. That compares with 40,000 bpd in 2024 and 70,000 bpd in 2023. Meanwhile, fuel suppliers OMV, from Austria, and Greek-owned Eko are now importing key transport fuels for their Serbian retail networks instead of buying from NIS, the companies told Reuters. The move has not been previously reported. OMV is importing fuels on Danube river barges from its other European refineries, it said, while Eko is supplying products from Greece, a company official said, asking not to be named. Both companies suspended fuel purchases from NIS due to U.S. sanctions, they said. Imports alone would struggle to cover Serbia's 44,000-49,000 bpd diesel demand and 14,000 bpd gasoline consumption because of limited capacity and infrastructure for barges, railcars, and trucks, one Serbian fuel trader said. NIS told Reuters it was "prepared to fulfill all contractual obligations, including those with corporate clients and major buyers such as other oil companies," adding that its Pancevo oil refinery was operating normally.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US sanctions hit Serbian oil firm NIS' operations despite waivers
By Robert Harvey and Aleksandar Vasovic LONDON/BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian oil firm NIS is struggling to buy oil from traders abroad, while at home its former clients are seeking alternative fuel suppliers as pending U.S. sanctions have impacted operations, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. NIS is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom Neft and Gazprom and as such is one of Russia's last remaining oil assets in Europe. It is crucial to Serbia's energy security as it operates the Balkan country's only oil refinery. It is hard for other companies to work around NIS because its dominant position in the Serbian market is compounded by logistical constraints in the landlocked country. NIS supplies around 80% of Serbia's gasoline and diesel, and 90% or more of jet fuel and heavy fuel oil, according to one trader. But the company's recent struggles highlight what could come if U.S. sanctions take effect, with President Aleksandar Vucic warning that Serbia could lose access to oil imports. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated NIS AD Novi Sad a sanctioned entity on January 10, giving Gazprom Neft 45 days to exit its investment, before extending that deadline with back-to-back 30-day waivers. NIS, which usually buys crude in long-term contracts, cancelled its 2025 tender, according to its procurement site. It is instead making shorter-term purchases in the spot market from international trading houses still willing to do business with it, two of the sources told Reuters. NIS' crude procurement changes have not previously been reported. NIS said it recently successfully closed a deal to buy oil in accordance with the waiver, and was sourcing crude from multiple suppliers. It did not give details. "The company is adapting its business activities to the newly-arisen circumstances," it told Reuters. NIS' crude imports via Croatia's Omisalj port - where 80% of the company's crude supply arrives via the Janaf pipeline - are averaging around 28,000 barrels per day this year, according to global real-time data and analytics provider Kpler. That compares with 40,000 bpd in 2024 and 70,000 bpd in 2023. Meanwhile, fuel suppliers OMV, from Austria, and Greek-owned Eko are now importing key transport fuels for their Serbian retail networks instead of buying from NIS, the companies told Reuters. The move has not been previously reported. OMV is importing fuels on Danube river barges from its other European refineries, it said, while Eko is supplying products from Greece, a company official said, asking not to be named. Both companies suspended fuel purchases from NIS due to U.S. sanctions, they said. Imports alone would struggle to cover Serbia's 44,000-49,000 bpd diesel demand and 14,000 bpd gasoline consumption because of limited capacity and infrastructure for barges, railcars, and trucks, one Serbian fuel trader said. NIS told Reuters it was "prepared to fulfill all contractual obligations, including those with corporate clients and major buyers such as other oil companies," adding that its Pancevo oil refinery was operating normally.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mystery sound at Serbia protest sparks sonic weapon allegations
By Aleksandar Vasovic and Milan Pavicic BELGRADE (Reuters) - Tamara Bojanovski was in a crowd of anti-government protesters in Belgrade on March 15 when she heard a sound "like some powerful machine hurtling up from behind". Thousands of others heard it too; the crowd packed into one of the Serbian capital's main boulevards parted abruptly, rushing to the sidewalks. Stefan, a student, recalled a "rumble", then a "whoosh" and a sensation of something speeding toward the crowd. Another student, Dragica, felt "a wave travelling through us". "People felt faint, and some fell over," said lawyer Bozo Prelevic, a former joint interior minister. The noise lasted only a few seconds. But speculation that a sonic weapon was used illegally to disperse the rally has filled headlines, talk shows and social media. President Aleksandar Vucic, already facing the biggest civil protests in decades, is under pressure to explain the incident. Sonic weapons employ extreme sound to incapacitate targets. They can damage ears and cause headaches and nausea, and their use is illegal in Serbia. Authorities denied possessing such devices, until Interior Minister Ivica Dacic admitted that police had bought Long-Range Acoustic Devices - used by authorities in the United States, Australia, Greece and Japan - from the U.S. in 2021. Then Serbia's police, BIA security and intelligence agency and military all denied ever using them in public. Vucic said on Saturday that Russia had sent experts from its FSB intelligence service to investigate at Belgrade's request, and on Monday said American FBI investigators would also arrive within days. The U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment. The Omega Foundation, a human rights watchdog, said photos and witness accounts they reviewed and audiovisual footage obtained by Reuters were inconclusive, but suggested an LRAD could have been used. "We really haven't seen an effect like this. It was so distinctive," said Omega Foundation researcher Neil Corney. Earshot, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in audio investigations, which also saw the footage, said the noise could have come from a vortex ring gun, an experimental non-lethal weapon for crowd control that uses high-energy doughnut-shaped vortices of air or gas, but that more research was needed. However, U.S.-based Genasys, which makes LRADs, said that audio and video evidence "does not support the use of an LRAD". The protesters had gathered in memory of 15 people who died when a train station roof collapsed in November in the city of Novi Sad. That tragedy, which many blame on government corruption and shoddy construction, has drawn hundreds of thousands onto the streets and forced prime minister Milos Vucevic to resign, as well as continuing to put pressure on Vucic. Geolocation of the videos suggests that the sound wave travelled south along Kralja Milana Street for over 500 metres. "The street emptied ... like when Moses parted the Red Sea," said Zoran Radovanovic, an epidemiologist who was in the crowd.
