Media: September exchange of prisoners with the participation of Medvedchuk took place in Ankara

The September prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv, as a result of which the Ukrainian businessman and politician Viktor Medvedchuk (godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin) was handed over to Russia, took place in Ankara, reported Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, citing high-ranking sources.

According to her, the exchange talks were organized at the initiative of Moscow and took place in Ankara, at the headquarters of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization. At the same time, Russia demanded that the five commanders of the Azov nationalist battalion (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia), whom Moscow transferred as part of the exchange, remain in Turkey until the end of hostilities.

This exchange of prisoners became known on September 22, according to the Ukrainian side, Moscow handed over 215 people to Kyiv, including 10 foreign mercenaries. Russia, in addition to Medvedchuk, returned 55 soldiers. Denis Pushilin, then head of the DPR, said that thanks to Medvedchuk, more than 1,000 DPR servicemen were released from captivity as part of the Minsk process and outside it.

Last time Russia and Ukraine exchanged taken prisoner on December 31, when the RF Ministry of Defense announced that 82 Russian military men had returned home. Prior to this, on December 6, the Russian military reported on the exchange of prisoners with the Armed Forces of Ukraine on December 6, when 60 Russian servicemen returned home. As a result of the exchange, on December 1, 50 Russian servicemen returned home after the exchange.

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the protection of the inhabitants of Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, its goals. During the special operation, Russian troops took control of the LPR, as well as most of the DPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Subsequently, these territories became part of Russia, and on October 19 martial law was introduced in the regions.