Ukrainian President offered on Wednesday to swap pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested by Kyiv after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured by Russia.

“I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours for our boys and our girls who are now in Russian captivity. And may Medvedchuk be an example for you. Even the former oligarch did not escape. What can we say about much simpler criminals from the Russian hinterland? We will get everyone”, - Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday announced they had captured the prominent pro-Kremlin tycoon who escaped from house arrest after Russia’s invasion.

Zelensky posted a picture online of a disheveled-looking Medvedchuk with his hands in cuffs and dressed in a Ukrainian army uniform.

“A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Well done!”, - he wrote on Telegram, announcing Medvedchuk’s capture.

Medvedchuk, one of the richest people in Ukraine, is a hugely controversial figure for his close ties to Moscow. The 67-year-old business tycoon counts Russian President Vladimir Putin among his personal friends and says the Kremlin leader is godfather to his youngest daughter Darya.