Arrested oligarch offers himself in exchange for civilians in Mariupol

Viktor Medvedchuk has asked to be exchanged for Ukrainian civilians in Mariupol. Picture: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Ukraine’s state security service has posted a video of a Ukrainian politician held on a treason charge offering himself in exchange for the evacuation of Mariupol’s trapped civilians.

The video of Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party with personal ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, was posted on Monday.