Latest news with #CoordinationHeadquartersfortheTreatmentofPOWs
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine refutes Russia's claims of disrupting POW exchange
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that it had delayed a planned exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and the bodies of fallen soldiers, reportedly scheduled for June 7-8. Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed to conduct a major swap, which would include severely injured prisoners and young people aged 18 to 25, during their second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2. After the talks, Russia also pledged to transfer 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and officers to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that preparations for exchanging the bodies would begin after the POW swap. On June 7, however, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in peace talks, claimed that the contact group of the Russian Defense Ministry was reportedly stationed at the border with Ukraine, but the Ukrainian side "unexpectedly postponed both the transfer of bodies and the POW exchange indefinitely." Ukraine's Defense Ministry dismissed the claim as false, saying it was an attempt by Russia to avoid returning Ukrainian POWs from captivity and take their POWs back to Russia. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is once again facing attempts to retroactively revise agreements. If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs also refuted Russia's claim, saying that "instead of constructive dialogue, Ukraine once again faced manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes." According to the headquarters, Ukraine submitted lists of POWs "formed according to clearly defined categories agreed upon during the negotiations in Istanbul," while the Russian side "provided different lists that do not correspond to the agreed approach." The headquarters also added that an agreement on the repatriation of bodies of fallen soldiers was made, but the date was not set. "Instead of consistently implementing the agreed procedure, the Russian side took unilateral actions that were not coordinated within the joint process," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are once again faced with manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes. We remain committed to a real outcome — the return of our prisoners and the bodies of the fallen — and are ready to continue working within the agreed framework." The latest direct Russia-Ukraine talks, hosted by Turkish officials, followed the first round of negotiations on May 16. The initial meeting ended with an agreement on the largest prisoner exchange of the war, but without any tangible progress toward a peace deal. Ukraine has returned over 5,000 prisoners via exchanges with Russia since March 2022, according to officials. Kyiv has repeatedly pressed Moscow to agree to an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange, but Russia has rejected the proposal. Read also: 'It's okay, Mom, I'm home' —Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap of the war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine, Russia preparing for new prisoner exchange following 2nd round of peace talks, Zelensky says
Russia and Ukraine are preparing to hold a new prisoners of war (POWs) exchange mediated by Turkey after the second round of peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 2 at the Bucharest Nine (B9) summit. Ukrainian and Russian delegations held a second round of peace talks in Istanbul earlier in the day. As a result of the previous talks in May, Kyiv and Moscow carried out the largest prisoner swap during Russia's war in Ukraine, exchanging 1,000 people from each side. "If Russia turns the Istanbul meetings into empty talk, new sanctions will have to be imposed not only by Europe but also at the level of the G7, including the U.S. and all those who want them," Zelensky said. According to the president, sanctions should remain an important lever of influence on Russia, which continues the war in Ukraine. "Sanctions against Russia are necessary because they will significantly reduce tanker use and trade opportunities. Lower oil prices could hit the Russian economy. Without pressure, Putin will continue to manipulate everyone who wants to end the war," Zelensky added. During the talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation presented a peace proposal expressing its readiness to make concessions regarding Russian sanctions if a full ceasefire is achieved. According to the proposal, some of the restrictions could be lifted gradually, provided that there is a mechanism for their renewal if necessary. The Ukrainian proposal also includes a prisoner swap in an all-for-all format, bringing back Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, as well as the release of all civilians held in Russian captivity. While ceasefire agreements and peace talks have remained elusive since the start of the full-scale invasion, regular prisoner swaps have remained one of the few areas of ongoing cooperation between the two countries. Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal. At least 8,000 Ukrainian service members are held captive by Russia, Iryna Vereshchuk, president's office deputy head, said on May 1, citing data from Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs. Kyiv does not release the figures for how many Russian POWs are currently in Ukrainian custody. Read also: 'We could not influence the list' — Ukraine reacts to reported inclusion of alleged defector in prisoner swap with Russia We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor, Maksym Kovtun, killed on front line defending Ukraine
Actor-turned-soldier Maksym Kovtun was killed on the front line, the Dnipro Academic Youth Theater said on May 2. "Maksym went to the front to protect our country, our freedom, and our future," the theater in a post to social media. Kovtun was a member of the youth theater before he began serving in the . "Maksym Kovtun died defending . His roles — bright, sincere, full of warmth — will forever remain in our hearts. He played for children and adults, giving joy, laughter, and deep emotions," the theater said. "Our entire theater team, colleagues, and friends express their deepest condolences to Maksym's family, his loved ones, and everyone who was by Maksym's side in life," the theater said. More than 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February. Ukraine the bodies of 909 soldiers killed in Russia's war, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs announced on April 18. Many have abandoned their careers to defend on the front line as Russia continues to wage its war against Ukraine. , a former cameraman and editor who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was killed fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast on March 13, his mother said on March 20. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia attacks Kharkiv with drones, injuring at least 40 We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine brings back bodies of over 900 fallen soldiers
Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 909 soldiers killed in the war with Russia, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs announced on April 18. These included service members killed in the Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv sectors of the front, as well as those in Russian morgues. The repatriation was carried out jointly by the Headquarters, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the military, the Interior Ministry, the ombudsman's office, and other government agencies. "We express our gratitude for the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross," the announcement read. The Geneva Conventions dictate that people who lost their lives during war are entitled to a dignified burial. Over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in early February. Read also: 'Not our war' — US may drop Russia-Ukraine ceasefire efforts unless progress is made, Rubio says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Voice of America
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Russian region holding Ukrainian Prisoners of War as ‘bargaining chip'
Iya Rashevskaya was told her husband — a member of the country's armed forces – had gone missing in the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region, in April 2023. The news of Serhiy Skotarenko's disappearance came just a month after he had joined the military, having given up his job abroad. Rashevskaya soon found out that her husband, a native of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, was alive and being held captive in Chechnya along with several other Ukrainian prisoners of war. A Ukrainian soldier who was released in a prisoner swap in June 2023 told Rashevskaya that he and Skotarenko had been held in the same jail in Chechnya. Rashevskaya recalls getting an unexpected, brief video call from her husband in August 2023. 'My husband asked about me and our children. He also asked me to help him to return home, saying we were his only hope,' Rashevskaya said. 'He looked awful, he has lost a lot of weight.' Ukrainian captives in Chechnya 'were being held in a basement and survived on instant noodles, bread, and water,' according to Rashevskaya. Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than 150 Ukrainian POWs are currently being held in Chechnya, a Russian region ruled by authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov says the soldiers were captured by Chechen military units fighting alongside other Russian forces in Ukraine. But Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs has claimed that Chechnya also often 'buys' Ukrainian captives from various Russian military units to use them as a bargaining chip in negotiations. RFE/RL cannot independently verify the claim. Some of the Ukrainian captives were exchanged with Chechen fighters seized by Ukrainian forces. Kadyrov, a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has sent thousands of Chechen fighters to Ukraine since the invasion began three years ago. In December 2024, Kadyrov threatened to use Ukrainian captives as human shields to protect strategically important buildings in Grozny from Ukrainian drone attacks. He said he would place them on the rooftops of buildings. He made the statement after Ukrainian drones reportedly hit a police campus in the Chechen capital. In January 2024, Kadyrov offered to release 20 Ukrainian captives in exchange for the removal of U.S. sanctions against his relatives and horses. Kadyrov, 48, and several of his family members, including his mother, Aymani Kadyrova, have been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union in recent years. Kadyrova, 71, is the head of the Kadyrov Foundation, which runs reeducation programs for Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces from occupied territories. Washington imposed sanctions on Kadyrova and the Foundation in August 2023. Kadyrov was sanctioned by Washington in 2017 and 2020 over accusations of human rights abuses. PR campaign for Kadyrov Chechen human rights lawyer Abubakar Yangulbaev says Kadyrov directly controls any prisoner swaps involving the Ukrainians captives in Chechnya. 'While the Chechens fighting in Ukraine are part of Russian troops, Chechnya also has its own interests. It's important for Kadyrov to secure the release of the Chechens captured in Ukraine to protect his own reputation before his people, whom he constantly calls to go to fight in Ukraine,' Yangulbaev told RFE/RL. 'It is a PR campaign for Kadyrov,' he added. Chechnya has never released the exact number or Ukrainian POWs it holds. According to Maria Klimik, a reporter for the Ukraine-based monitor, Media Initiative for Human Rights, in some cases the Ukrainian and Chechen sides have swapped captured soldiers 'informally' in the battlefields in Ukraine without involving a third party. Klimik told RFE/RL that Ukrainian POWs in Chechnya are usually held in dark, windowless basements of buildings – presumably police stations. Prisoners sleep on utility shelves as there are no beds in the basements, Klimik said citing accounts of former POWs. RFE/RL cannot independently verify the claims. In his New Year address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 3,956 Ukrainian soldiers had been freed in prisoners' exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow since the beginning of the invasion. There has been no public mention of any direct prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Chechnya, as the families of the captives in Grozny call for their release.
