Ukraine-Russia prisoner swap to be discussed at Normandy Four summit - Zelensky

10.10.2019 09:24

Ukrinform

The date for another detainee exchange between Ukraine and Russia will be announced after a Normandy Four summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Crimea.Realities project while attending the Arms and Security exhibition.

"There was agreement that the most important issue – a detainee exchange – would be raised at the Normandy format [meeting]. There are two exchanges since we have people staying in the territory of Russia and those staying in the territory of the 'DPR'," he said.

According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian side prepared two positions on the detainee exchange, but there has been no communication with Russia on this issue so far.

Zelensky said on October 2 that the approval of a "Steinmeier formula" had removed the last obstacles to holding the Normandy Four summit.

Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner swap on September 7. Twenty-four sailors captured by Russia's FSB in the Kerch Strait in the autumn of 2018, as well as 11 political prisoners, including Volodymyr Balukh, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleg Sentsov, Pavlo Hryb, Roman Sushchenko and others, returned to Ukraine.

According to Ukraine's SBU Security Service, 227 prisoners and hostages are being held in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.