Ukraine submits list of 1,000 prisoners for planned exchange with Russia

Kyiv, May 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has submitted to the Russian side a list of 1,000 detainees for the planned prisoner exchange, according to the presidential press service.

“The prisoner exchange, 1,000 for 1,000, is being prepared and must take place. The Americans assumed responsibility for these guarantees,” Zelensky said in his evening address on Sunday.

He also stressed that the conflict with Russia must be brought to an end and reliable security must be guaranteed, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Now (Russian President Vladimir) Putin himself says that he is finally ready for real meetings. We pushed him a little toward this, and we have long been ready for such meetings ourselves — now a format must be found,” he said.

Russia and Ukraine on Friday agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a swap of 1,000 prisoners.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of violating a declared three-day ceasefire.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Sunday that Ukrainian forces committed 16,071 violations of the ceasefire regime in the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russian forces responded to the ceasefire violations in kind, launching retaliatory strikes against multiple launch rocket system, artillery, and mortar positions, as well as command posts and drone launch sites, the ministry said.

On Saturday, the ministry also reported 8,970 ceasefire violations in multiple regions.

Ukrainian authorities said Sunday that at least one person was killed and 15 others were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine despite the ceasefire.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement that Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 60 times on Sunday.

Russia and Ukraine on Friday agreed to a three-day ceasefire from Saturday to Monday during the Victory Day celebrations.

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