President Vladimir Putin admitted for the first time to the presence of Russian military personnel in east Ukraine during his annual press conference on Thursday.
Asked by an Ukrainian reporter about an hour into the conference about two captured Russian military intelligence officers currently on trial in Ukraine, Putin responded: “We never said there were not people there who carried out certain tasks, including in the military sphere.”
He insisted, however, that these were not regular Russian troops.
After the same correspondent inquired whether a prisoner exchange was possible, perhaps involving the Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, who is being tried in Rostov in southern Russia, Putin replied that prisoner swaps “will have to be negotiated.”
“We support [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko's approach — exchange all for all,” he said.
Russia had repeatedly denied military involvement in the conflict in east Ukraine, despite what most news outlets consider mounting evidence to the contrary.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
