The body repatriation marks a crucial development in the ongoing conflict, as both nations continue to negotiate amidst significant casualties.
Ukraine Recovers 1,212 Soldiers' Remains in Major Swap with Russia
Ukraine Recovers 1,212 Soldiers' Remains in Major Swap with Russia
The latest prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia sees a significant return of fallen soldiers, showcasing ongoing wartime challenges.
Ukraine's coordination center for the treatment of prisoners of war has announced the repatriation of 1,212 deceased Ukrainian soldiers from Russia as part of a recent prisoner exchange agreement. In this exchange, Russia reportedly received 27 bodies, as stated by Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow's chief negotiator.
This significant swap is regarded as the most concrete outcome of peace negotiations conducted last week in Turkey, where both parties consented to the return of up to 6,000 deceased soldiers along with sick and critically wounded prisoners and those under the age of 25. Medinsky emphasized that the exchange of severely wounded prisoners would commence on Thursday.
The deceased soldiers come from various regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The coordination center announced its intention to swiftly identify the returned soldiers. This incident marks another instance of body repatriation amid the ongoing conflict, adding to the thousands exchanged throughout more than 70 separate repatriation events.
This latest transfer follows allegations from Moscow accusing Ukraine of neglecting the collection of bodies, which Medinsky claimed had been stored in refrigerated trucks at an exchange site since Saturday. He also accused Ukraine of having “unexpectedly postponed” some planned prisoner swaps, while Ukraine countered these assertions, labeling them as manipulative tactics.
On the initial day of exchanges earlier this week, poignant scenes unfolded as families of Ukrainian soldiers gathered near the Belarus border, seeking information from returning prisoners regarding their missing loved ones. Although the precise number of exchanged soldiers remains undisclosed, the event solidified the emotional toll of the conflict on countless families.
This significant swap is regarded as the most concrete outcome of peace negotiations conducted last week in Turkey, where both parties consented to the return of up to 6,000 deceased soldiers along with sick and critically wounded prisoners and those under the age of 25. Medinsky emphasized that the exchange of severely wounded prisoners would commence on Thursday.
The deceased soldiers come from various regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The coordination center announced its intention to swiftly identify the returned soldiers. This incident marks another instance of body repatriation amid the ongoing conflict, adding to the thousands exchanged throughout more than 70 separate repatriation events.
This latest transfer follows allegations from Moscow accusing Ukraine of neglecting the collection of bodies, which Medinsky claimed had been stored in refrigerated trucks at an exchange site since Saturday. He also accused Ukraine of having “unexpectedly postponed” some planned prisoner swaps, while Ukraine countered these assertions, labeling them as manipulative tactics.
On the initial day of exchanges earlier this week, poignant scenes unfolded as families of Ukrainian soldiers gathered near the Belarus border, seeking information from returning prisoners regarding their missing loved ones. Although the precise number of exchanged soldiers remains undisclosed, the event solidified the emotional toll of the conflict on countless families.
