Hundreds of Russians are said to have been captured • Ukraine: Wants to bring home our defenders
A large number of Russian soldiers have been captured in connection with Ukraine entering the Russian region of Kursk.
Now they hope to get Ukrainian support that a large number of prisoners of war can be released from Russia.
– We are already looking at how we can use this to get our defenders home as quickly as possible, says Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Ukrainian security service SBU.
In connection with the fact that Ukraine has advanced into Kursk, it is stated that a large number of Russian soldiers have been captured, something Ukraine hopes to be able to use in future negotiations on prisoner exchanges with Russia, reports Kyiv Post.
The head of GUR, the military Ukrainian intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov announced during Friday evening that several different authorities are now making efforts to bring home as many soldiers as possible.
Wants to bring home women and the injured
The focus will be on women, those who are seriously injured and soldiers who have been in captivity for a long time, Budanov announced.
– The return of Ukrainian defenders is our highest priority, said Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Ukrainian security service SBU.
In the event of a possible prisoner exchange, servicemen who were captured in Mariupol at the beginning of the war will also be prioritized, as well as the Crimean Tatars who were imprisoned will receive “special attention”.
Ukraine: Russia has initiated talks
Several Ukrainian authorities are now to carry out a coordinated effort to free as many prisoners of war as possible. The large number of Russians captured in Kursk is hoped to give Ukraine the upper hand in the negotiations.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, announced that Russia had initiated talks for the first time to discuss a possible exchange of prisoners of war.
Hundreds are said to have been captured
Exactly how many Russian soldiers have been captured since Ukraine entered Kursk is unclear, but it is said to be about a hundred. The security service, the SBU, announced that it had captured 102 Russian servicemen in one day – more than it had ever captured in one day since the start of the war.
The last time so many Russian soldiers were captured was in connection with the first Chechen war in 1996.
During the year, several prisoner exchanges took place between Russia and Ukraine. In January, among other things, 230 Ukrainians were released against 248 Russians. At the beginning of July, 75 Ukrainian prisoners were released, including some of the defenders of Ormön. Around 100 prisoners from each side were last released in an exchange in July.