Ukraine accuses Russia of delaying the major "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange deal
[57712] Ukraine accuses Russia of delaying the major "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange deal
The Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner claims that Kyiv has fulfilled all its obligations in the deal to release 1000 prisoners, while Russia continues to delay the process and engage in manipulation.
Ukraine: Russia is delaying the "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange deal
The Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, announced on May 12, 2026, that the large-scale "1000 for 1000" format prisoner exchange deal is stalled due to Russia's conduct. According to reports in Реальний Київ and Оперативні ЗСУ, Ukraine has completed all its preparations, including the transfer of prisoner lists, but the Russian side is dragging its feet and trying to shift the responsibility onto Kyiv.
In a report by the TSN channel, which takes a clearly pro-Ukrainian stance, Lubinets was quoted as saying: "When you reach agreements with the Russian side, you can never be 100% sure that they will be kept." The channel notes that Russia continues its delaying tactics despite the daily negotiation efforts of the Ukrainian side.
Additional sources, including Ukraine context and Цензор.НЕТ, emphasize that Kyiv's priority is to first return the wounded and those held in captivity since 2014. According to sources at Мы Украина, the delay does not prevent Ukraine from continuing its staff work, although there is growing frustration over the lack of Russian response.
Political experts note that the prisoner deal has become a key element in the overall negotiations, especially after previous agreements signed ahead of May 9 were violated. As of now, Russia has not provided official explanations for the delays, leading to assessments that it is using the humanitarian issue as a tool for political pressure.