Office of President of Ukraine: Prisoner swap still ongoing

The information about the completion of the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and the Russian Federation is untrue. The process of prisoner swap is still ongoing.

"The process of prisoner swap is ongoing. The information on its completion is untrue," the Office of the President of Ukraine posted on Facebook.

As noted in the Office, "it is not the first time we see the information chaos caused by references to unconfirmed information and numerous so-called sources."

The Office has assured to release the information on the official channels as soon as prisoner swap is completed.

In turn, spokeswoman for the Security Service of Ukraine Olena Hitlianska posted on Facebook that "the complicated process of negotiations on prisoner exchange is ongoing."

Earlier, employee of the Parliament of Ukraine Anna Isliamova posted on Facebook that Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners on the night of August 30. Her publication was shared by newly elected Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Riaboshapka.

"The exchange is completed: sailors, Sentsov, Karpiuk, Balukh, Hryb are flying home," reads the publication.

According to the Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will meet the captives. A plane with Ukrainians may land at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) on Friday morning.

Radio Liberty’s Crimea.Realities project has reported with reference to the relatives of captured Ukrainian sailors that they have already been delivered to Kyiv as part of the Ukrainian-Russian prisoner swap.

The relatives say that "sailors are already in Ukraine" but do not specify their whereabouts.

In addition, Crimea.Realities reports with reference to a source in the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that there will be no official meeting of Ukrainian sailors and political prisoners at the airport as they will be taken to hospital.

The relatives of captured sailors say on condition of anonymity that the sailors will not be met at the airport officially.

There is no other confirmation of this information. The official and independent sources have not confirmed the information.

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