Viktor Medvedchuk, the godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war, including Denis Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment. This was stated by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak.
In addition to Prokopenko, Deputy Svyatoslav Palamar "Kalina", commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergei Volynsky "Volyn", as well as photographer and Azov fighter Dmitry Kozatsky were released. Their photos were published by Ukrainian Telegram channels.
A total of 215 Ukrainian defenders returned home, according to Ukrainian media.
Z-publics write that 55 Russian military men and several pilots of the Aerospace Forces have returned home. But there have been no official statements from the Russian authorities in this regard.
Medvedchuk was detained by SBU counterintelligence officers on April 12. On April 16, the court toughened the measure of restraint and sent him under arrest without the right to be released on bail. Medvedchuk's wife Oksana Marchenko and he himself offered Putin to exchange him for the defenders and residents of Mariupol. But the Kremlin refused to exchange.
In 2004, Medvedchuk became the godfather of Vladimir Putin – he, together with Dmitry Medvedev's wife Svetlana, baptized his daughter Daria. It is known that in recent years, Medvedchuk regularly met with the Russian president.
Since 2018, Medvedchuk has led the pro-Russian party Opposition Platform – For Life in Ukraine. On June 20, her activities in Ukraine were banned . Before being elected to the Verkhovna Rada in 2019, Medvedchuk was also a member of the tripartite contact group to resolve the situation in Donbass. In October 2021, the Ukrainian authorities suspected Medvedchuk of financing terrorism. According to the SBU, in 2014 Medvedchuk organized a scheme for the supply of coal from the so-called DPR and LPR to the territory controlled by Ukraine.