Ukraine Receives 1,200 Remains of Fallen Soldiers Amidst Ongoing Negotiations with Russia

Ukrainian officials announced on Friday that they had received 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia as part of a deal established during peace negotiations in Istanbul.

In a statement, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed, “The remains of 1,200 deceased individuals have been returned to Ukraine.” They indicated that, according to Russian authorities, these remains belong to Ukrainian nationals, including those who served in the military.

Last week, Russia stated that it would take the initiative to transfer the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers, which Ukraine has termed an “exchange.”

The arrangement faced uncertainty over the weekend after Russia accused Ukraine of not collecting the initial batch of bodies, while Ukrainian representatives claimed that Moscow was engaging in a “dirty political game.”

Earlier this week, Russia reported that it had transferred the remains of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers in the first phase of the agreement.

The exchange of remains and the continuing prisoner swaps are the only significant results arising from two rounds of direct peace discussions held in Istanbul.