Kiev responsible for lack of results at POWs exchange negotiations – Morozova

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Today the DPR Human Rights Ombudsman Daria Morozova categorically rejected the allegations of disruption of the prisoner exchange process by the Republic. The statement by Ms Morozova was provided to DAN.

“For a year and a half, official Kiev has not fulfilled a single paragraph (of the Minsk Package of Measures), and fully ignored the fifth and sixth ones (on amnesty and the exchange of prisoners – DAN Ed.),” the Ombudsman emphasized. “Today we may observe how the Ukrainian side is trying to relieve itself of responsibility for a zero result and blame us for this.”

Morozova recalled that during the conflict, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have repeatedly shown willingness to compromise and made gestures of goodwill, unilaterally releasing  Ukrainian servicemen. There were no such steps on the part of Kiev, “so we may preclude that they do not seek a constructive dialogue.”

“For us, there is no difference between prisoners, whether it’s a military, civilian or political prisoner, we will fight for everyone, including those eight deminers who performed a humanitarian mine clearance operation. I have already added them into the exchange list. If the Ukrainian side is ready to fulfil its obligations, then they should follow the established procedure since I no longer count on a gesture of goodwill from Ukraine,” the DPR Ombudsman concluded.

Earlier today, a representative of Kiev in the Humanitarian Subgroup for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass, Irina Gerashchenko, said that the DPR allegedly ignores the initiatives of the Ukrainian side to exchange prisoners and does not show interest in the release of eight deminers captured at the end of June.

We recall that on June 28, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the area near the front-line village of Shirokino, where deminers from the DPR carried out a demining operation coordinated with the OSCE. As a result, two people died, eight were captured.

Source: DAN