Russia accuses Türkiye and Ukraine of violating agreements on Azovstal defenders

Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman for the Russian dictator, has accused Ukraine and Türkiye of violating the agreements after five commanders who defended Azovstal steelworks were brought back to their homeland.

Source: Peskov in a comment to the Russian propaganda media outlet RIA Novosti

Details: According to Peskov, the commanders from Azovstal being brought from Türkiye to Ukraine is a violation of terms of the existing agreements, both by Türkiye and Ukraine.

Putin’s press secretary said that according to the agreement terms, Azovstal defenders were supposed to stay on the territory of Türkiye “until the end of the conflict”.

He also said that no one informed Russia about the Azovstal defenders being brought back to Ukraine.

According to Peskov, the decision to extradite Azovstal defenders to Kyiv, violating existing agreements, is allegedly related to “failures” in Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Peskov also stated that Türkiye was allegedly under great pressure following the preparations for the NATO summit. And Ankara, as an alliance member, shows solidarity with it, and the Russian Federation “understands everything perfectly”, but violation of agreements does not make anyone look good.

Previously: On Saturday, 8 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the military commanders who defended Azovstal are being brought back to Ukraine after being released from Russian captivity as part of an exchange from Türkiye.

Later, the President’s press service clarified that five commanders from Azovstal Iron and Steel Works were brought back to Ukraine on Saturday following negotiations with Türkiye.

Background:

• On 21 September 2022, as part of a PoW swap with the Russian occupiers, Ukraine succeeded in freeing 215 Ukrainian defenders, including Denys Prokopenko, aka Radis, Serhii Volynskyi, aka Volyna, Svyatoslav Palamar, Denys Shleha and Oleh Khomenko – unit leaders of the defence of Azovstal. Ukrainian businessman and pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, to whose daughter Putin is godfather, together with 55 Russian occupiers had been returned to Russia.

• Five Azov Regiment leaders were in Türkiye under personal guarantees of protection and security from President Erdoğan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s agreements with Russia stipulate that the five leaders of the Azov Regiment will remain in Türkiye until the end of the war. But Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence stated that Ukrainian military commanders will live in Türkiye “for some time”.

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