Ukraine Prisoner Exchange Sparks Backlash in Russia
A prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine that included senior Ukrainian commanders was hailed as a victory by Kyiv but provoked criticism among nationalists in Russia who questioned the decision to release them.
The prisoner swap, brokered by Turkey, was a rare diplomatic breakthrough in the war, which has recently seen swift gains by Ukrainian forces dealing Moscow its biggest reversals in the battlefield. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered reservists to mobilize and hinted he could use nuclear strikes, saying he would use “all the instruments at his disposal,” to prevail.
Among the 215 prisoners released by Moscow were several senior commanders who led Ukraine’s defense of the port city of Mariupol and became symbols of resistance to Russia’s onslaught. They laid down their arms in May at Kyiv’s instruction after holding out for weeks in the bunkers beneath Mariupol’s giant steelworks. Russia had vowed to put them on trial, branding the Azov regiment to which they belong as a terrorist group.
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In return, Ukraine released 55 Russians and Viktor Medvedchuk, a personal confidant of Mr. Putin. Mr. Medvedchuk is the leader of a banned pro-Moscow party in Ukraine, and was facing treason charges. Moscow initially offered to release 50 Ukrainian prisoners in return for Mr. Medvedchuk, Mr. Zelensky said, but ultimately agreed to three times that many. “We exchanged one fan of Russia for 200 warriors…I think this is a good result,” he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-prisoner-exchange-sparks-backlash-in-russia/ar-AA127qnJ
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