Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of delaying prisoner swap

A large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine - the only concrete outcome of peace talks - was thrown into doubt on Saturday after Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of delaying and thwarting the swap.

The hold-up to an exchange that both sides said would take place this weekend came as Moscow’s army launched a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across the country overnight and throughout Saturday, killing at least 10 people.

At talks in Istanbul on Monday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to release all wounded soldiers and those aged under 25 who had been captured - more than 1,000 people on each side.

Russia said it would also hand back the remains of 6,000 killed Ukrainian soldiers.

Moscow on Saturday accused Ukraine of not turning up to collect the bodies and not agreeing a date to swap the captured soldiers, while Kyiv said Russia was playing “dirty games” by not sticking to the agreed parameters for the exchange.

“The Ukrainian side has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war,” Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on social media.

A defence ministry spokesman said “the Ukrainian side is still refraining from setting a date” for the first stage of the prisoner swap.

The exchange was set to be the largest of the war, topping last month’s 1,000-for-1,000 swap that was agreed at a first round of talks in Istanbul.

After the Istanbul talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would take place this weekend, while Russia said it was ready for Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Responding to Russia’s accusations, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said no date had been agreed for the return of bodies.

It also said a list of names Russia said would be released did not match the terms of the agreement.

“Unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are again faced with manipulations,” it said in a statement on social media.

“We call on the Russian side to stop playing dirty games and return to constructive work to bring people back to both sides and to clearly implement the agreement in the coming days,” it added.

The spat came hours after Russia launched a massive aerial attack across Ukraine, heavily targeting the city of Kharkiv.

At least 10 people were killed in the overnight barrage and attacks throughout Saturday, officials said.

Kharkiv came under “the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war,” Mayor Igor Terekhov said.

Agence France-Presse