Ukraine and Russia swap soldiers as Mariupol prepares for rebel advance

Ukraine and Russia have swapped soldiers who had entered each other’s territory near the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. The swap of soldiers took place overnight at the frontier, a rare gesture to ease tension, but Kiev and Moscow have given starkly opposing accounts of how their troops came to be on each others’ territory. A Russian paratroop commander said an unspecified number of Russian paratroopers were swapped for 63 Ukrainian soldiers. A Ukrainian military source said the Russian soldiers numbered 15.

It must be borne in mind that Russia cannot stand aside when people are being shot at almost at point blank.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Kiev says Moscow’s forces have come to the aid of pro-Russian insurgents advancing for an assault on a major port, Mariupol. Ukrainian troops and local residents were seen reinforcing the area on Sunday. The new rebel advance has drawn increasing concern from Ukraine’s Western allies, who say its success is a result of reinforcement by armoured columns of Russian troops. Moscow denies its troops are fighting in Ukraine and says a small party of its soldiers crossed the border by accident.

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