Russia's commissioner denies talks on large prisoner exchange with Ukraine

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Monday that she did not talk to her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Turkey last week about a possible prisoner exchange.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Monday that she did not talk to her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Turkey last week about a possible prisoner exchange. Turkish ombudsman Seref Malkoc said on Monday that Ukraine conveyed to Russia a list of 800 people and that the Russian ombudsman provided a list of 200 to be swapped.

"In my negotiations with Ombudsman of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets in Ankara there was never any talk of exchanges, and I always emphasize that these issues are within the competence of the Russian Ministry of Defence," Moskalkova said on the Telegram messaging app. "Moreover, I believe that such an unequal exchange cannot be considered fair." (Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)