Kremlin hopes 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap will progress swiftly, Putin's spokesman says

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that all parties are committed to implementing a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine as quickly as possible.

Source: Peskov in a comment to Russian media 

Quote: "This process is fairly labour-intensive. It involves work on individual names. Given the scale of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange, it will take some time. The work is progressing swiftly."

Background

• Zelenskyy previously announced that the possibility of a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap had been discussed with Russia. Ukraine also raised the issue of the release of political prisoners and journalists.
• Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has said he is confident that the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Russia will happen next week.
• Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of DIU, said on 16 May that Ukraine had begun reviewing the lists of POWs who are to be brought back to Ukraine as part of the swap.
• The agreement on the simultaneous release and exchange of 1,000 POWs on each side was reached by the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on 16 May.
• On 17 May, the Security Service of Ukraine began preparations for the implementation of the prisoner swap agreement.

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