Kremlin [Russia], July 18: The Kremlin on July 17 denied that Moscow's operation in the Kharkiv region of northern Ukraine had failed. The Russian military launched an offensive in the region in May, aiming to push back Ukrainian troops and establish what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a "security buffer zone," AFP reported.
On July 16, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod region , said that he would prevent people from entering 14 border villages, as Ukraine continued to shell the territory. When asked if the information meant the Kharkiv operation had failed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 17 that "it is not so."
"The operation is ongoing and will continue until it is successful," Peskov said. "But while the operation is not yet complete, Ukraine continues to carry out attacks on civilian infrastructure. New measures are needed to ensure the safety of civilians," he added.
Governor Gladkov said on July 16 that more than 200 people had been killed and hundreds injured in the region since the conflict in Ukraine began in late February 2022. He said the border blockade would be implemented from July 23, stressing that only people wearing bulletproof vests and helmets would be allowed to pass through the checkpoint.
On July 17, Mr. Gladkov said that a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had attacked a car in Belgorod, killing a couple. Kyiv has not commented on this information.
Russia - Ukraine exchange prisonersRussia and Ukraine exchanged 95 prisoners each on July 17, mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this information.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian prisoners would be flown to Moscow for medical examinations and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, President Zelensky said the Ukrainian prisoners were members of the armed forces, the national guard and border guards.
Mr. Zelensky thanked the UAE for mediating the exchange. This is the third prisoner exchange between the two countries in the past seven weeks. The last one was in June, also mediated by the UAE, with each side returning 90 prisoners, according to AFP.
There have been more than 50 prisoner exchanges since the conflict began in 2022, with thousands of people released. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that more than 1,300 Russian soldiers were being held by Ukraine, while Moscow held more than 6,400 Ukrainian prisoners.
Tatyana Moskalkova, a member of the State Duma's human rights committee, said she had discussed the prisoner swap with her Ukrainian counterparts. Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said the first meetings with his Moscow counterparts took place at the time of the prisoner swap in June.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper