Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting to coordinate preparations for a potential “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange with Russia and stated that Ukrainian authorities are currently verifying the details of every individual on the lists submitted by the Russian side.
The head of state reported this via Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
“I held a meeting on the preparation for an exchange. The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey. We are working to ensure that this result is achieved. Reports were presented on contacts with the Russians. Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, is overseeing the organization of the process and the implementation of the agreement. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the team of the Office of the President are all involved. We are clarifying the details for each individual included on the lists submitted by the Russian side,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that “returning all of our people from Russian captivity is one of Ukraine’s key objectives.”
“I am grateful to everyone who is contributing to this effort,” Zelensky said.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov earlier said that the “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange, discussed during recent negotiations with the Russian delegation in Istanbul, could take place in the near future.
On May 17, Ukraine’s Joint Center for Coordinating the Search for and Release of Prisoners, operating under the Security Service of Ukraine, began preparations for the exchange.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Source: Zelensky holds meeting on upcoming '1,000-for-1,000' prisoner exchange
