Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed exchanging Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin captured by Ukrainian forces, with Ukrainians which have been captured and brought to Russia.
Zelensky first introduced the information of the arrest of the fugitive, who's seen as Putin's closest ally in Ukraine, in a Telegram submit on Tuesday.
"A particular operation was carried out by the safety service of Ukraine. Nicely achieved!" Zelensky wrote in a submit that included an image of the detainee in handcuffs and wearing military fatigues with a Ukrainian flag patch.
The Ukrainian chief then proposed swapping Medvedchuk with Ukrainians captured and despatched to Russia.
"Some form of warrior. Some form of patriot. I suggest to the Russian Federation to alternate this man of yours for our boys and our women who at the moment are in Russian captivity," Zelensky mentioned in a video posted on Telegram.
Zelensky has mentioned that tons of of 1000's of Ukrainian residents in occupied areas have been deported to Russia, a lot of them positioned in "particular filtration camps."
Medvedchuk is an oligarch and opposition politician in Ukraine, who made his fortune by means of Russian oil pursuits and his shut proximity to the Kremlin. He has beforehand mentioned Putin is godfather to his daughter. Medvedchuk is called the "Gray Cardinal," resulting from his low profile hiding a large affect over pro-Russian forces in Ukraine for twenty years.
The oligarch had escaped home arrest, the place he was being held on treason prices, days after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Medvedchuk had been held on the costs since 2021 over accusations of making an attempt to steal pure assets from Crimea, an space of jap Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2014. He's additionally accused of divulging Ukrainian navy secrets and techniques to Moscow.
The Ukrainian safety service (SBU) on Twitter mentioned: "You is usually a pro-Russian politician and work for the aggressor state for years. You'll have been hiding from justice recently. You may even put on a Ukrainian navy uniform for camouflage.
"However will it enable you escape punishment? By no means! Shackles are ready for you and similar goes for traitors to Ukraine such as you."
The submit cited Ivan Bakanov, head of the SBU, saying his operatives had "performed a lightning-fast and harmful multi-level particular operation" to arrest Medvedchuk. The submit didn't give additional particulars.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian overseas ministry for remark.
Chatting with Channel 24 on Tuesday about tons of of 1000's of Ukrainians who've allegedly been deported to Russia because the conflict began, Zelensky mentioned: "They're positioned in particular filtration camps, paperwork are confiscated, and humiliated. What number of of them are killed is unknown."
After failing to take a number of main Ukrainian cities, together with the capital Kyiv, Russian forces have refocused their invasion on the Donbas area in jap Ukraine and to the south of the nation, together with the besieged port metropolis of Mariupol.
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