Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereschuk has said that Russian prisoners of war will be exchanged or they will be punished in Ukraine.

"We are not barbarians and not a horde, like the Russian army. We will work as defined by international humanitarian law. And we will definitely form an exchange fund. Russian prisoners of war will be exchanged, or they will be punished in Ukraine," the press service of the ministry quoted Vereschuk as saying.

She said that the necessary regulatory and legal framework has already been streamlined in the field of treatment of prisoners of war in Ukraine, a procedure has been developed, a Coordination Headquarters has been created and executive secretaries have been identified.

At the same time, the deputy prime minister said that the Russian authorities do not care too much about the fate of their dead and wounded soldiers.

"Consequently, in such a situation it is difficult to predict how much the Russian side will be interested in those of its soldiers and officers who find themselves behind bars with us. As well as the format in which there can be an exchange of prisoners. And in general – what will be the attitude of Russia to this problem, which already has a serious scale," she said.

Vereschuk said that a prisoner-of-war exchange system is currently operating, in which the International Committee of the Red Cross is involved.

"Special cards are filled out for each of the prisoners, they are sent to the Red Cross. I have already seen the lists, and I am amazed by the years of birth of children whom the Russian Federation sent to war: 2002, 2003. I am shocked. After all, they used to say that this is a professional army of Russia, but actually children are fighting," she added.

As reported, Vereschuk headed the Coordinating Headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war.