Kyiv: Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of postponing a large-scale exchange of captured soldiers, hours after Moscow's army launched a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across the country.Kyiv and Moscow agreed to release all wounded soldiers and those aged under-25 that had been captured, with both sides saying the exchange was set for this weekend.The POW swap - to involve more than 1,000 people on each side - along with an agreement to hand over the bodies of thousands of killed soldiers was the only concrete outcome of a second round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.Russia has rejected Ukraine's calls for an unconditional ceasefire, drawing accusations Moscow has no desire to halt its three-year invasion. Medinsky said Russia had brought the bodies of 1,212 killed Ukrainian soldiers to the "exchange area" - the first of 6,000 to be handed over.Moscow had also sent a list to Kyiv with the names of 640 POWs to be swapped in the first stage. "We urge Kyiv to strictly adhere to the timetable and all agreements reached, and begin the exchange immediately," Medinsky said.Kyiv did not immediately respond to the accusation.After the Istanbul talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the exchange would take place this weekend, while Russia said it was ready for Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Author: Agence France-Presse
Published at: 2025-06-07 19:04:54
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