Ukraine hands over 70 collaborators to Russia in May 23 prisoner swap
Kyiv has handed over 70 people convicted of collaborating with Russia during a prisoner swap on May 23, Ukraine's Khochu k svoim (I want to go to my own) project said.
The identities of 31 of them have been revealed on the project's website. These included Oleksandr Tarnashinskyi, a former associate of pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, or ex-Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer Vitalii Vasiliev.
They were among the 390 military and civilian prisoners Ukraine handed over to Russia in the first phase of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange agreed in Istanbul last week. In return, 270 Ukrainian soldiers and 120 civilians were released from Russian captivity.
In cooperation with Russian citizen S. Prokhodenko, Tarnashinskyi created foundations and public organizations in Ukraine to funnel Russian funds into anti-Ukrainian information activities in the country, the Khochu k svoim project said.
Tarnashinskyi was also a top figure in the pro-Russian political organization called the Ukrainian Choice, which was led by Medvedchuk. Tarnashinskyi was detained by the SBU in May 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.
Medvedchuk himself was detained in 2022 and handed over to Russia in a prisoner exchange later the same year.
Vasiliev collaborated with Russian occupation authorities in Luhansk Oblast before the full-scale invasion and intended to recruit other SBU officers to collaborate as well. He has been found guilty of treason and sentenced to five years.
The ex-SBU lieutenant colonel is believed to be one of the key figures in organizing the sham referendum in Luhansk Oblast during the onset of Russian aggression in Donbas in 2014.
The Khochu k svoim is run by Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War (POW) with the support of the Ombudsman's office and military intelligence (HUR).
The 1,000-for-1,000 exchange continues, with each side releasing 307 POWs on May 24. The final exchange is planned for May 25. Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal.
