Zelenskyy links frequency of POW swaps to number of captured Russians

13:21, 05.10.2024 1 min read

During his visit to Sumy region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is "not interested" in exchanging prisoners of war (POWs), but thanks to the Kursk operation, the exchange fund has been significantly replenished with the number of Russian prisoners and the exchange process will continue.

"Here we need to be honest, firstly, Russia's reluctance [to exchange captives], and secondly, when a large number of people accumulate, it is clear that then they begin to put pressure on their political leadership from society," Zelenskyy said at a meeting with representatives of local authorities of Sumy region communities.

According to the President, the Russian Federation is not interested in a swap.

"We have more exchanges now. We had a large replenishment [of prisoners of war] due to the Kursk operation. We exchanged a fairly large number of people. These processes will continue," Zelenskyy noted.