Pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk handed over to Russia in exchange for 200 POWs

Ukraine's most high-profile pro-Kremlin politician and Russian President Vladimir Putin's right-hand man in Ukraine, Viktor Medvedchuk, was part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine that took place on Sept. 21.

Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko wrote on Telegram that Medvedchuk was part of the prisoner swap that returned 205 Ukrainian soldiers and ten foreign fighters.

Earlier, on April 12, the Security Service of Ukraine captured Medvedchuk, who had fled from house arrest in February after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested exchanging Medvedchuk for Ukrainians held in Russian captivity. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at the time that Medvedchuk is not a citizen of Russia, and the Kremlin does not know whether he wants Russia to get involved with his situation.

Medvedchuk along with ally Taras Kozak was charged with high treason in May 2021. The two were suspected of colluding with the Russian government to extract natural resources in Russian-annexed Crimea. Later in October 2021, Medvedchuk was charged with treason in a separate case concerning the coal supplies to Ukrainian state-owned companies from Russian-occupied areas of Donbas in 2014-2015.

Medvedchuk has denied all the allegations.

Who is Viktor Medvedchuk and why his arrest is a big deal

The Kyiv Independent