The exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kiev is over. 24 Ukrainian sailors and 11 political prisoners arrived in Kiev.

The exchange took place according to the formula 35 to 35. The plane with Ukrainian citizens arrived at Kiev’s Borispol airport on Saturday, September 7, according to a DW correspondent. At the same time, a plane with prisoners released by Ukraine landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

Twenty-four Ukrainian sailors detained by the Russian Coast Guard in the Kerch Strait near annexed Crimea and 11 political prisoners, including director Oleh Sentsov, arrived in Kyiv. A list of all returned political prisoners is published on the website of the Ukrainian president. They were met at the airport by relatives, President Zelenskyy and other officials.

The detained sailors were handed over under the guarantee of the Ukrainian ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova. According to the lawyers, they will have to continue to take part in the investigation if the Russian side requests it.

The full list of prisoners extradited to Russia remains unknown. Human rights activist Aleksei Blinushov (Memorial Ryazan) compiled a list of prisoners sent to Russia from various media reports. Among them are citizens of Russia and Ukraine accused of participating in the war on the side of LPR or spying for them. It is known that the head of the RIA Novosti Ukrayiny, Kirill Vyshynskyy, who was met at the airport by journalists from state-run channels, Kiselyov and Skabeyev, and former anti-aircraft gunner Volodymyr Tsyomakh, whom Ukraine considers to be involved in the 2014 Malaysian Boeing crash over Donbas, have been returned. The Dutch prosecutor’s office asked Ukraine not to extradite him to Russia. According to Zelenskyy, the exchange almost broke down because of him. But before he was sent to Russia, he was questioned.

Two BBC sources close to the negotiation process claim that negotiations on a new large exchange and approval of new, expanded lists will begin on September 18 at a meeting of the contact group in Minsk – the exchange of all identified on all identified ones.

Sources: Deutsche Welle, BBC, RBC, Kommersant