Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin has said that following the talks in Istanbul on June 2, Russia immediately began preparations
The Russian delegation made it clear to the Ukrainian team during the latest round of direct talks in Istanbul that Moscow was willing to prioritize and expedite a prisoner exchange, as well as the repatriation of the dead, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin has revealed.
His comment came shortly after Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of refusing to accept the return of its own POWs and the remains of its fallen troops on “strange” pretexts.
A major prisoner exchange, focusing on those heavily wounded and those under 25, was among the key points agreed upon by Moscow and Kiev during the negotiations in Türkiye on June 2.
Additionally, Russia unilaterally offered to repatriate the bodies of over 6,000 slain Ukrainian military personnel as a humanitarian gesture.
Speaking later on Saturday, Fomin stated that “while discussing this topic with the Ukrainian delegation [in Istanbul], we specifically emphasized our readiness to address these issues on a priority basis and as swiftly as possible.” He added that on returning to Moscow, Russian officials immediately began preparing for the swap.
Fomin characterized the discussions on the matter earlier this month as “productive” and yielding “concrete agreements.” He stressed that Russian officials had relayed their proposals to the Ukrainians in advance and that Moscow had been ready to conduct the swap this week, having dispatched its technical team to the Belarus-Ukraine border to work out the specifics.
“Yet, we still have not received Kiev’s agreement to conduct humanitarian operations,” the deputy defense minister explained, adding that Ukrainian officials did not show up at the meeting point. Fomin said that Kiev has yet to provide a reason for the delay in the swap.
He expressed hope that Ukrainian authorities would soon act on Moscow’s proposal, emphasizing Russia’s readiness to honor the agreement reached in Istanbul on Monday.
Following the first round of direct talks in Istanbul last month, Moscow and Kiev successfully conducted a large prisoner exchange.
