Prisoner Exchange: Something Went Wrong
The expected arrival from Russia to Kyiv last night with freed Navy sailors and terrorist Oleg Sentsov was not confirmed. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky did not sign a decree pardoning political prisoners from the Russian list, and the plane, which supposedly took off from Moscow to Kyiv at night, never landed.
Valentin Rybin, a Kiev lawyer for Russian political prisoners, reported this on his blog, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I’m somehow worried about the plane with our sailors, which, like in the Bermuda Triangle, took off and can’t land in Ukraine. But in reality, don’t fall for fakes, check the information, contact those people who can at least say something normal and intelligible.
I inform you that as of today, at nine in the morning, I am in Poltava on the way to Dnepropetrovsk. No one is flying anywhere; all citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as citizens of Ukraine, who planned to take part in the exchange, are some at the collection point, some in places of pre-trial detention or serving sentences.
No plane flew from Russia to Kyiv. Therefore, let’s be patient and not make a false start,” Rybin said.
The same information was confirmed in his blog by Verkhovna Rada deputy Vadim Rabinovich: “About the release of our prisoners: 1. Unfortunately, it’s a lie. 2. I beg you, drink less if you want results. 3. Don’t lose hope - everything will be fine.”
The exchange was also refuted by the speaker of the President of Ukraine Yulia Mendel: “The process of mutual release of detained persons continues. Information about its completion is not true. When the mutual release of detainees is completed, the Office of the President of Ukraine will report this on official channels.”
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Now the editors are aware.