Russia and Ukraine introduced the alternate of a whole bunch of prisoners of conflict on Wednesday, resuming the fastidiously choreographed buying and selling of captives solely per week after Moscow accused Kyiv of taking pictures down a Russian navy transport airplane that it mentioned was carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of conflict on their solution to be exchanged.
The reason for the crash, which occurred in Russia’s Belgorod area close to the border with Ukraine final week, stays unknown. Ukrainian officers have neither confirmed nor denied duty, have known as for a world investigation and mentioned that the Russians had supplied no conclusive proof that prisoners have been on the flight.
After the crash, households of Ukrainian prisoners frightened publicly that the episode may imperil one of many few diplomatic channels left between the 2 international locations, making it much less seemingly that they’d see their family members once more.
However the strategy of exchanging prisoners, whereas at occasions slowed down, has endured even throughout essentially the most attempting moments of a conflict that has stretched on for almost two years.
The commerce on Wednesday was the fiftieth alternate between the 2 nations because the conflict started, and greater than 3,000 Ukrainian troopers and civilians have returned dwelling, in keeping with Ukrainian officers. Whereas Russia has not disclosed a complete quantity, no less than 1,200 troopers have been returned, in keeping with statements by the nation’s officers.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who introduced the commerce in a press release on social media, mentioned 207 troopers and civilians had been returned. The returnees vary in age from 20 to 61.
“We return after all,” Mr. Zelensky wrote within the assertion. “We bear in mind each captive.”
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Remedy of Prisoners of Conflict mentioned that 36 of the returned Ukrainians had “accidents or severe diseases.”
The Russian Ministry of Protection mentioned that 195 of its troopers had been returned and could be transferred for medical care. The ministry mentioned that an equal variety of Ukrainians had been returned. There was no fast rationalization for the discrepancy between its figures and people introduced by Mr. Zelensky. It additionally famous the function of the United Arab Emirates in serving to dealer the deal.
The connection between Russia and the Emirates has grown nearer lately, with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia making a high-profile go to to the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi, in December.
The alternate, nevertheless, supplied no fast clues in regards to the thriller surrounding the downed Russian airplane or about whether or not Ukrainian prisoners have been onboard, as Russia claims.
The Ukrainian information media reported that not one of the individuals returned on Wednesday have been on an inventory of 65 prisoners the Russians claimed have been killed within the crash.
Neither facet has offered proof in regards to the crash, whilst they’ve highlighted the incident as proof of the opposite facet’s malign intent.
Talking at a gathering together with his supporters on Wednesday in Moscow, Mr. Putin mentioned that Russian investigators “had established it precisely” that the airplane was shot down utilizing the American Patriot air protection system. Final week, he mentioned that he didn’t know whether or not the Ukrainians had intentionally shot down the airplane realizing that their very own troopers have been onboard, however that it was nonetheless against the law.
Ukraine has been stepping up its assaults inside Russia and infrequently publicly acknowledging assaults on navy targets. After the airplane crashed, the Ukrainians asserted a proper to shoot down Russian navy planes within the border area and mentioned that Russia had not knowledgeable them {that a} airplane carrying prisoners could be flying within the space. But it surely has stopped in need of taking duty for taking pictures down the airplane. Russia has mentioned that Ukraine was knowledgeable in regards to the flight.
Ukrainian officers have mentioned it’s unusual {that a} week after the crash, Russia has not launched any visible proof of the our bodies of Ukrainian prisoners it claims have been killed within the crash.
Kyrylo Budanov, the pinnacle of Ukrainian navy intelligence, has mentioned that the Ukrainians do not need a full understanding of who was on the airplane, however that the best way the Russians have dealt with the episode raised many questions.
“If it occurred as Russia claims, why did Russia cover the our bodies for a number of days and why is it nonetheless hiding them?” he mentioned. “It ought to have proven them to the entire world: ‘Look, the Ukrainians are murderers.’ However there aren’t any our bodies — there’s nothing.”
Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting.
