Kyiv's recent prisoner swap with Russia has resulted in the repatriation of 1,212 deceased Ukrainian soldiers, while Russia received 27 bodies in return, marking a crucial conclusion to recent peace negotiations.
Ukraine Successfully Repatriates 1,212 Soldiers in Prisoner Exchange with Russia
Ukraine Successfully Repatriates 1,212 Soldiers in Prisoner Exchange with Russia
In a significant development, Ukraine announces the return of soldiers' bodies as part of a wartime agreement with Russia.
In a solemn acknowledgment of the sacrifice made during the ongoing conflict, Ukraine's coordination centre for prisoners of war revealed that the bodies of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers have been repatriated from Russia following a prisoner exchange agreement. The return of these soldiers' remains comes as a part of broader negotiations between the two nations, and in exchange, Russia received 27 bodies.
Russian chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed that the agreement reached during peace talks in Turkey included provisions for both sides to exchange as many as 6,000 bodies. Additionally, there are plans to communicate arrangements for transferring severely wounded prisoners beginning Thursday. The Ukrainian soldiers retrieved hailed from various regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The centre also expressed its commitment to swiftly identify the deceased soldiers.
This somber exchange is not an isolated incident; thousands of bodies have been repatriated before, with over 70 separate exchanges logged throughout the conflict. Tensions flared earlier amid accusations from Moscow alleging that Ukraine was negligent in collecting the bodies, with Medinsky suggesting they had been at an exchange point in refrigerated trucks since Saturday. Conversely, Ukrainian officials countered these claims, accusing Russia of "playing dirty tricks" and distorting the facts to influence public perception.
The emotional first round of exchanges unfolded on Monday when families of missing Ukrainian soldiers gathered at the Belarus border, hoping for information about their loved ones. Both sides engaged in the swap, although the specific numbers of those exchanged were not disclosed. The ongoing tragedy has left families fearful that peace will not yield the return of their missing relatives.
