Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday exchanged bodies of fallen soldiers in line with the agreement reached in last week’s talks in Istanbul.
Russia transferred bodies of 1,212 killed soldiers to Ukraine, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said. In turn, Ukraine returned the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers, Medinsky said, adding that the work will continue over the next few days. The Ukrainian side did not disclose how many Russian bodies were handed over to Moscow.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that the bodies of soldiers were repatriated with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The agency said the identities of the returned soldiers will be established soon, without giving any further details. The repatriation was carried out with joint efforts involving the Security Service of Ukraine, SBU, the Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, the Ombudsman's Office, the State Emergency Service, and other national security and defense institutions. The International Committee of the Red Cross also supported the operation.
The latest exchange of bodies is part of an ongoing agreement with Russia that has seen busloads of POWs cross the border both ways.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to swap prisoners of war during Turkey-hosted two-staged direct peace negotiations in May and June 2. During the second round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, the delegations agreed to a large-scale exchange focusing on the most vulnerable prisoners. The deal prioritized two specific categories in an "all-for-all" format: All seriously wounded and ill prisoners of war, and all captured soldiers under the age of 25.
