The Russian State Duma's statement about the possibility of banning the exchange of Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal is calculated for internal propaganda, the negotiation process continues, said Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar.

"This is a political statement calculated for internal propaganda and internal political processes in the Russian Federation. From our side, we can say that the negotiation process continues, and the rescue operation itself is now underway," Malyar said at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Earlier, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that the captured Ukrainian servicemen at Azovstal could not be exchanged.