The Kremlin on Saturday slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to repatriate several Ukrainian commanders who should have remained in Turkiye until the end of the conflict under a deal, APA reports citing The Moscow Times.

The Ukrainian presidency confirmed that it had secured the return of members of the crack Azov regiment, which is despised in Russia, after "negotiations with the Turkish side."

They were greeted at Istanbul airport by Zelensky, who was on a visit to Turkiye.

"The return of Azov commanders from Turkiye to Ukraine is nothing but a direct violation of the terms of existing agreements," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

He said both Ukraine and Turkiye had violated the terms of the agreement, under which the men were supposed to remain in Turkiye until the end of the conflict.

Source: Azeri-Press News Agency