In Istanbul, more than 1,200 prisoners have agreed – Umerov and Medinsky

Rustem Umerov at a briefing in Istanbul on July 23, screenshot video

The heads of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations at the negotiations in Istanbul Rustem Umerov and Vladimir Medinsky declared an agreement to exchange more than 1,200 prisoners of war on each side.

Source: Rustem Umerov, Vladimir Medinsky, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Sergey Kislytsia, spokesman

Direct language Umerov: “First of all, our arrangement and the result of this humanitarian track are more than 1,200 people. These will be exchanges that will be implemented by our colleagues. And we will continue our further exchanges.”

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Details: The participant of the Ukrainian delegation Sergey Kislytsa said that it was a return of prisoners of war, while civilians and children “need to be returned”, they are not included in exchanges.

The direct language of Medinsky: “Continuing the exchanges of prisoners of war, we agreed that at least 1,200 prisoners of war will be exchanged in the near future.”

Details: The head of the Russian delegation also stated that the Russian Federation proposed to transfer to Ukraine a larger number of prisoners of war.

“If they find ours, then this figure will be larger,” he said.

Medinsky also stated that Russia suggested that Ukraine transfer another 3,000 bodies of dead Ukrainian servicemen.

In addition, he said, Russia suggested that Kyiv consider the issue of announcement of short, 24, 48 hours, “roar” to pick up the wounded and bodies of fighters.

At the same time, the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine Georgy Tykhy said that during the third round of negotiations “the atmosphere was somewhat different from previous meetings – there were fewer emotions, fewer lyrical parts and more constructive and calm conversation.”

He also stressed that the proposal of the Russian Federation for short ceasefire periods in certain sections of the front is not new and sounded in particular at the past meeting in Istanbul. He stressed that this cannot be called a “true truce”.

The direct language of the quiet: “Also during the previous meetings in 3-4 months we heard other ideas from Russia-a truce for Easter, on Victory Day. But this is not a real ceasefire.

If we talk about some humanitarian pauses in small areas of the front, it should be understood that it is happening from time to time – Ukrainian and Russian grassroots are coordinating such things to pick up the bodies of a soldier, this is a short humanitarian pause.

But this is not a ceasefire. The Russians try to sell it as a ceasefire, and in our understanding it is a ceasefire on the ground, at sea and in the air. We mean this by full truce. Civil infrastructure and residential areas should also be safe. And these humanitarian pauses are what is already happening and it cannot be called a real truce. ”

That preceded: July 23 Ukraine and Russia held the 9th stage of the exchange of prisoners. Hardly ill and seriously wounded military returned home. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 1000 Ukrainians have been returned to all stages of the latest Istanbul arrangements.

Prehistory:

• On July 23, the third round of peace talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations took place in Turkish Istanbul.
• Ukraine suggested that the Russian side meet the leaders with the participation of Turkish President Recep Taiip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump by the end of August.
• At the same time, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated after the meeting that the positions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the memoranda “are quite far from each other”.