Budanov: 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange may take place next week
A 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner of war (POW) exchange may take place next week, Head of the Main Intelligence Agency Kyrylo Budanov said.
"I hope it will happen next week, according to the lists, you understand – there will be an exchange, let's say, whoever we can take – we will take. And give it back in the same way," Budanov said in a comment to TSN.
As reported, on Friday, May 16, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul. After the meeting, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that a 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange may take place in the near future.
"We know the date, but we won't say it yet," he said.
Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation has a directive from the president. According to him, during the meeting, the representatives of the countries talked about the ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
The Russian representative at the negotiations, Volodymyr Medinsky, also confirmed the exchange in the "1,000 for 1,000" format in the near future.
Vadym Skibitsky, a representative of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that the process of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war has officially started.