Russia hands over 1,200 war dead bodies to Ukraine
Russia on Sunday returned the bodies of 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers killed during the war, bringing the total number of bodies handed over by Moscow to more than 4,800. This latest transfer comes as part of an agreement finalised in Istanbul earlier this month, even as hopes for an end to the conflict remain out of reach.
The Ukrainian government body tasked with matters related to prisoners of war—the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners shared the development via Telegram, noting that the repatriation followed talks held between the two nations in Turkey.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov acknowledged the humanitarian efforts behind the operation, stating, "I am grateful to everyone involved in this humanitarian mission. Ahead is an important and responsible stage of identification. This is a complex and delicate work that will give each family the opportunity to receive answers."
According to Ukrainian authorities, this series of returns marks one of the largest of its kind since Russia's full-scale military assault on Ukraine began in February 2022.
Russian state media also confirmed the repatriation of 1,200 Ukrainian bodies. However, they claimed that no Russian bodies have been returned by Kyiv under the terms of the same agreement.
“Russia says Ukraine hasn’t stuck to its side [of the deal], that it hasn’t reciprocated,” reported Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Ukraine has yet to publicly respond to these accusations.
Under the terms negotiated in Istanbul, both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to exchange up to 6,000 bodies and to facilitate the swap of critically injured prisoners of war, as well as those under the age of 25.
Despite the framework in place, Russian officials report receiving only 27 of their own servicemen's remains so far.
The repatriation came at a time of escalated hostilities. Russia has claimed control over the village of Malynivka in Donetsk, while also pushing forward in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Sumy.
“Russian forces are roughly 18- 20 km (11.2-12.4 miles) away from the capital of the Sumy region, which has been under constant drone and missile attack,” Baig added.
In response to Russian aggression, Ukraine’s military on Sunday announced that it had targeted a drone facility in Yelabuga, a city in Russia’s Tatarstan region. The Ukrainian General Staff said the site, located nearly 1,000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory, was being used to manufacture, test, and launch drones primarily aimed at Ukraine’s civil and energy sectors.
