Ukraine ready to exchange 23 Russians for Ukrainian prisoners - Gerashchenko

04.04.2018 09:20

Ukrinform

Ukraine is ready to exchange for Ukrainian prisoners 23 Russian citizens who are serving their sentences for grave crimes against Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Ukraine's representative in the subgroup on humanitarian issues of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Iryna Gerashchenko, has said on the 112 Ukraine television channel.

"Today Russians, who were in fact detained for their certain involvement in the conflict under the guise of so-called 'militiamen,' are serving their sentences in Ukrainian prisons for grave crimes against [Ukraine's] territorial integrity and sovereignty. Obviously, these are curators, rather than 'militiamen.' In fact, the Ukrainian side is ready to transfer these convicts, but we also want to free Ukrainian citizens," she said.

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"If the Russian side states that 'we are not there,' then the Ukrainian side says 'no, you are here.' And now 23 Russians are in Ukrainian prisons. We are ready to transfer them for the release of Ukrainian hostages," Gerashchenko added.

The Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in Donbas will meet on April 4 to discuss the exchange of prisoners.