Follow live the latest news about the war in Ukraine
8 ()
The Russian government has reproached Turkey this Saturday for breaching the agreement reached with this country after the handover of five Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal, in Mariupol, to the Ukrainian authorities.
“The return of the leaders of the ‘Azovites’ from Turkey to Ukraine is nothing more than a direct violation of the terms of the existing agreements,” said the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dimitr Peskov.
“Even more. In this case the terms have been breached by both Ukraine and Turkey,” he added, according to official Russian media.
The agreement provided for the delivery of the fighters to Turkey and their stay in that country until the end of the conflict, recalled Peskov, who stressed that Russia has not been informed of the delivery of these fighters.
Thus, the delivery of the “commanders of an extremist organization” to kyiv is proof of the “failure” that the Ukrainian counterattack suffers “day by day”.
Peskov has indicated that he understands that Turkey shows solidarity with NATO since it is a member of this alliance. “The political-military bloc is preparing its summit and has put enormous pressure on Ankara,” he pointed out.
In response, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Presidency, Mikhailo Podoliak, pointed out that Moscow’s reaction “demonstrates once again that the Russian Federation has no credibility on the international scene.”
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky traveled to Turkey this Saturday and accompanied five of the defenders of the Mariupol Azovstal factory who had been seized by Russian forces and later handed over to Turkey.
Now kyiv has negotiated with Ankara the return of these fighters, among whom is the commander of the Azov unit of the Ukrainian National Guard, Denis Prokopenko; his lieutenant Sviatoslav Palamar, commander of the 36th Marine Brigade Serhii Volinski, officer of the Azov Brigade Oleg Khomenko and commander of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard Denis Shlegu, the Ukrainian Presidency reported. .
Zelenski met the five at the Istanbul International Airport, where he congratulated them on their work and on their return to Ukraine.
“I congratulate you! You are our heroes! I am very happy that you have returned to your homeland. Glory to Ukraine!” Zelensky snapped. Once inside the plane, Zelenski has spoken with the five released and has thanked them for their “courage” and their “resistance”.
