Kremlin refused Muslim POW exchange on Ramadan, Ukraine says
On March 7, Ukraine returns 126 defenders and four female defenders from Russian captivity (Photo:Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War/Telegram)
Moscow refused Ukraine’s offer of an all-for-all Muslim prisoner-of-war exchange to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan, Ukrainian President’s Office Press Secretary, Daria Zarivna, said in an interview with Voice of America on April 7.
“We contacted them with a proposal to exchange Muslims (POWs) ‘all-for-all’ from both sides as a sign of respect for their culture and traditions,” said Zarivna.
“Unfortunately, the Russian side didn’t meet the idea with much enthusiasm.”
She emphasized that this initiative is one of the many creative solutions Kyiv uses in order to exchange prisoners.
“This is a hard process that needs to be continued, constantly looking for new ways to pull out more of our people,” Zarivna added.
Earlier in April, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the number of Russian troops willing to surrender has increased recently, due to the anticipated Ukrainian spring counter offensive.
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