Latest news with #AzovNationalGuardBrigade
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
North Korean soldiers were not part of latest large prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia
North Korean soldiers currently held captive in Ukraine were not included in the recent thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. Source: Yonhap News Agency, citing a statement by South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-won Details: Yu Yong-won said that two soldiers with the surnames Ri and Baek were not included in the list of prisoners exchanged between Ukraine and Russia, which took place from Friday to Sunday. He referred to a Ukrainian source. Yu added that the decision not to include the North Koreans on the list was made at Seoul's request. South Korea has said it is ready to accept the soldiers if they want to move to South Korea. One of them, Ri, has already expressed such an intention. MP Yu Yong-won met with both prisoners during his visit to Ukraine in February. One of the prisoners, Ri, expressed concern in a published audio recording that his parents could be executed if he returned to North Korea as part of the exchange. The MP called on the South Korean government to take steps to enable them to come to South Korea. Quote from Yu: "(Ri) is anticipating a tragic end for himself and his parents if he is repatriated to North Korea." Background: On 25 May, Ukraine and Russia carried out the third part of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange which was agreed upon in Türkiye. Another 303 Ukrainian defenders had been released from Russian captivity. Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, said that during the three-day exchange of POWs with Russia, not a single Azov soldier was exchanged, and he does not believe that the authorities are interested in getting these fighters back. Writer and former Kremlin political prisoner Stanislav Aseiev reported that among those released in the exchange, there were no civilians who had been held captive by Russia for eight years. In April 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed that troops had been sent to Russia to fight against Ukraine, stating that this was in accordance with the provisions of the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian forces have captured 971 Russian troops during Kursk operation – Ukraine's General Staff
Ukraine's General Staff has stated that the Ukrainian defence forces have captured 971 Russian service members since the beginning of the ongoing offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Quote: "To free our people from the enemy's torture chambers, the defence forces are relentlessly replenishing the POW exchange pool with Russian soldiers and officers. The Kursk offensive operation has been the most effective effort in this regard. Between 6 August 2024 and 25 May 2025, our defenders have captured 971 members of the Russian armed forces. The Ukrainian defence forces continue to conduct active operations in Kursk Oblast." Details: The General Staff emphasised that a numerically superior adversary can only be defeated through unconventional approaches, describing the Kursk campaign as "an unexpected and asymmetric move whose success has been acknowledged internationally". Quote: "The fight continues – for our territory and our people. Ukraine leaves no one behind." Background: On Friday 23 May, Ukraine and Russia conducted the first phase of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange, resulting in the return of 390 Ukrainians – 270 military personnel and 120 civilians. On Saturday, a further 307 Ukrainian defenders, all men of private and sergeant rank, were brought back from Russian captivity. On 25 May, Ukraine and Russia completed the third phase of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange, liberating another 303 Ukrainian defenders. Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, has stated that not a single Azov fighter was included in the recent three-day prisoner exchange with Russia. He said he does not believe the Ukrainian authorities are interested in bringing them back. Journalist Stanislav Aseyev has drawn attention to the plight of civilians who have been held in Russian captivity for eight years, pointing out that not one of them was among those released during the recent thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Largest-ever Ukrainian-Russian prisoner swap comes under fire for lacking Azov fighters, civilians
As Kyiv completed its largest prisoner exchange of the war on May 25, exchanging 1,000 Ukrainian POWs for 1,000 Russians, some spoke out on social media to criticize authorities for failing to return certain captives. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, described the exchange as a "mockery" due to the lack of fighters from the Azov Brigade, in a post on Facebook. In the past, Ukrainian authorities have said that Russia has pushed back against their requests to return Azov fighters as part of earlier exchanges. Ukrainian society has rallied for captured Azov fighters who defended the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol during the Russian siege of the port city in 2022. The battle, one of the most brutal of the entire war, is credited with buying time for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prepare itself and receive international military aid against Russia's invasion during the initial phase of the war. Azovstal defenders were ordered to surrender to the encircling Russian forces after nearly two months of constant bombardment of the besieged plant. While hundreds of these fighters have been released since 2022, hundreds more remain in captivity. Prokopenko said that Ukraine needs to change its tactics, writing, "There are options, we just need to adapt and start looking for new ways and configurations. Because not a single Azov resident among 1,000 exchanged people is a shame for our entire state." Separately, writer and journalist Stanislav Aseyev criticized the exchange on Facebook for failing to include civilians who have spent more than eight years in captivity. "The list of hostages that I handed over to President (Volodymyr) Zelensky back in January 2020 has remained a list," Aseyev wrote. "The vast majority of these people are in the 32nd maximum security colony in Makiivka, where they were taken after Isolation and from other prisons. Some of these people actively helped our special services," he added. "I don't know if there is anyone in the history of this war for 11 years who has been in prison longer," he added. Zelensky, following the exchange pledged to "bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity." Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal. The three days of prisoner exchanges were negotiated by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 16th, during the first direct talks between the two countries in three years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on May 23 that Moscow will convey its peace terms to Kyiv immediately after the completion of the prisoner exchange. While Moscow's list of conditions have yet to be revealed, Russia has repeatedly reiterated maximalist demands, including that Ukraine accept the loss of Crimea and four eastern regions. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Azov Brigade soldiers left out of large-scale prisoner swap, its commander says
Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, has stated that not a single Azov fighter was included in the recent three-day prisoner exchange with Russia. He said he does not believe the Ukrainian authorities are interested in bringing them back. Source: Prokopenko on Facebook Quote from Prokopenko: "Not a single Azov fighter. Among the 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war exchanged today, there is not a single member of Azov. Yet some scumbag who asked prison guards for a knife to butcher our soldiers was swapped. This feels like a mockery of those who are in their fourth year of enduring inhumane conditions in Russian captivity, in the worst conditions. It's a mockery of their families, loved ones and brothers-in-arms. It's a mockery of those who were given guarantees and who have every right to be prioritised for swaps, as they were taken prisoner not of their own volition but [because they surrendered] by order of the high command. Just days ago, Ukraine marked the third anniversary of the Mariupol garrison's withdrawal from Azovstal, hoping that the thousand-for-thousand swap would include fighters from the 12th Azov Brigade. Those expectations were not met." Details: Prokopenko believes that Russia's reluctance to release Azov fighters is not the only reason why they have been excluded from prisoner exchanges. He argues that Ukraine should offer Russia individuals of greater significance than "some conscript from Omsk" to secure the release of Azov fighters. Quote from Prokopenko: "Ukraine is teeming with Russian agents – all the special services know this and need only an order to act. I believe that priests from the [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the] Moscow Patriarchate, who openly work for Russian intelligence, would be of greater interest to Russia than the ordinary soldiers they're using to capture the lands of Ukraine... ...There are options; we just need to adapt and explore new approaches and configurations. Because the fact that not a single Azov fighter was among the thousand in this swap is a disgrace for our entire nation. I do not believe the authorities are committed to bringing back Azov fighters, because the same individuals are now in their fourth year of handling exchanges ineffectively." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Civilians held by Russia for eight years not included in recent prisoner swap
Journalist Stanislav Aseyev has drawn attention to the plight of civilians who have been held in Russian captivity for eight years, pointing out that not one of them was among those released during the recent thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. Source: Stanislav Aseyev, a journalist and writer who was formerly held in the Izolyatsia prison in the temporarily occupied city of Donetsk, on Facebook Quote: "The final stage of the large-scale prisoner exchange has taken place – and not one of the civilians who have been held for EIGHT years is among them. EIGHT YEARS. The list of hostages I handed to President Zelenskyy back in January 2020 has remained just that – a list." Details: Aseyev said most of these people are being held in Penal Colony No. 32, a strict regime facility in the Russian-occupied city of Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, where they were transferred after being imprisoned in Izolyatsia and other detention facilities. He pointed out that some of them had assisted Ukrainian intelligence services at a time when "most people didn't care about what was happening in Donbas". Quote: "I don't know if there is anyone else in the 11-year history of this war who has been imprisoned longer. And I don't want to compare the suffering of prisoners – that's impossible from both an objective and a moral standpoint. But the length of captivity is an objective measure, and if the state is bringing back civilians (and it is), it is completely unacceptable to ignore those who have been held the longest." Details: Asieiev also stressed that to Russia, these people mean nothing. "These people in Penal Colony No. 32 mean nothing to Russia," he stated. "So the real question is – do they mean anything to their own state?" Background: On 25 May, Ukraine and Russia conducted the third phase of a thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. Another 303 Ukrainian defenders have returned home. Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, has stated that not a single Azov fighter was included in the recent three-day prisoner exchange with Russia. He said he does not believe the Ukrainian authorities are interested in bringing them back. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
