Russia Puts Forward Unacceptable Demands Towards Ukraine to Unblock Prisoner Exchange

To unblock the process of prisoner exchange, Russia demands that Ukraine recognise so-called “DPR” and “LPR” as parties to the conflict.

“The stumbling block is the Kremlin’s desire to pretend that they are not a party to the conflict and do everything possible for Ukraine to recognise so-called ‘republics’ as one of the parties to the conflict. That’s all. There are no other stumbling blocks,” said Oleksiy Arestovych, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas.

Arestovych stressed that the lists for the exchange had been prepared, and they were well known to both sides and OSCE mediators. He added that Charlotta Relander, Coordinator of the Humanitarian Working Group, was doing a lot to make the exchange happen and the entry-exit checkpoints work. But the OSCE stumbles upon the same stance of the Kremlin. At the same time, the Ukrainian side is ready for exchange.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence reports that the Russian Federation continues to deliver military equipment, weapons, ammunition, and military property to the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“More than 5,000 tonnes of fuel; new batches of armaments and ammunition, including anti-tank guided missiles; shells for multiple-launch rocket systems; hand-held anti-tank grenades; anti-tank and anti-personnel mines; ammunition rounds for heavy machine guns; and sniper rifles were delivered to the formations and units of the 1st (Donetsk) and the 2nd (Luhansk) army corps of the operational group of the Russian-occupation forces by rail and road,” said the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

It is also reported that renovated and modernised combat vehicles were returned to the occupation units from Russia. In addition, the Russian Federation delivered stocks of property and equipment to prepare equipment for the operation in winter.

Bohdan Marusyak