Russia says Ukraine yet to confirm war prisoner and body exchange agreement

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated Sunday that it is still awaiting official confirmation from Ukraine regarding a planned exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of fallen soldiers, which was scheduled to begin Saturday.

Deputy Defense Minister Col.-Gen. Aleksandr Fomin said Ukrainian representatives had not arrived at the designated meeting point, and no formal explanation had been provided for the delay. “The reason for the delay in conducting these activities remains unclear to us,” Fomin said in a statement.

He noted that the agreement stemmed from two rounds of negotiations held in Istanbul in May and June, during which both sides agreed to a framework for humanitarian exchanges. These included the repatriation of deceased servicemen, the return of severely wounded individuals, and a youth-specific prisoner swap under the “1000 for 1000” formula.

Fomin emphasized that Moscow had promptly prepared for the transfers and had notified Kyiv in advance. Russian liaison officials were deployed to the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to coordinate technical aspects on-site.

“We reiterate our commitment to fulfilling all existing agreements, as the Russian side has always done,” he said, urging Ukrainian authorities to respond through the designated communication channel.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner Exchange, meanwhile, confirmed an agreement existed but said no specific date had yet been finalized for the operation. It also accused Russia of submitting prisoner lists that did not conform to previously agreed terms.

While Ukraine acknowledged that it had provided its own list of prisoners, it said it was still waiting for compliance from Moscow before proceeding. Ukrainian officials have yet to respond formally via official channels, according to Russia.

The disagreement highlights ongoing difficulties in implementing humanitarian agreements amid the broader conflict, despite earlier successful exchanges.

Copied