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What the 9 September 2019 aftermath of the swap showed
Summary
A look back at the Russia–Ukraine prisoner exchange and the Kyiv political moves that surrounded it in early September 2019.
What was the picture in Kyiv on 9 September 2019, two days after Russia and Ukraine carried out a large prisoner swap? The exchange, reported on 7 September 2019, was conducted on a "35-to-35" basis and dominated the days that followed.
Who was exchanged
Among those freed were Oleg Sentsov, Mykola Karpyuk, Olexandr Kolchenko and Roman Sushchenko, along with 24 Ukrainian Navy sailors detained by Russia during the 2018 Kerch Strait incident. The exchange also included Kirill Vyshinsky.
On 5 September 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said both countries were finalising negotiations on a rather large-scale exchange. The swap followed within two days.
The Tsemakh question
The most contested name on the list was Volodymyr Tsemakh, a person of interest in the case of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. On 5 September 2019, the Court of Appeal in Kyiv ruled to release him. After the swap, the Dutch government said it seriously regretted his inclusion.
The flight, which was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down on 17 July 2014 over eastern Ukraine by Russian-backed forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the exchange, describing it as a possible first big step towards peace.
Domestic politics in the same week
The swap came amid fast-moving domestic politics. On 3 September 2019, the Verkhovna Rada approved a bill to strip members of parliament of immunity from prosecution. The next day, on 4 September 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to dismiss Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko from his post as head of the Kyiv City State Administration.
Taken together, the events of 3–7 September 2019 left Ukraine with a prisoner exchange that drew praise from Washington and regret from The Hague, alongside significant changes to the legal and administrative landscape at home.
