Russia has handed Ukraine another 1 200 bodies of war dead Russian news agencies report

MOSCOW – Ukraine has received the bodies of another 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war with Russia, as part of agreements to exchange both prisoners of war and the dead, Ukrainian officials said on June 15.

In several exchanges so far in June, Ukraine has repatriated more than 4,800 bodies, Ukrainian officials said.

This marks one of the largest returns of war dead since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA reported the handover, saying Moscow had not received a single Russian corpse in return.

“As part of the agreements in Istanbul, the repatriation of the bodies of the deceased continues. Today, the Russian side handed over another 1,200 bodies to Ukraine,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

“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,” said Mr Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at talks in Istanbul.

It is the fourth in a series of handovers of soldiers’ remains to take place in the past week, in accordance with an agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine at talks in Istanbul earlier in June.

Kyiv and Moscow agreed to each hand over as many as 6,000 bodies, and exchange sick and heavily wounded prisoners of war and those aged under 25.

Russia has so far reported only receiving 27 Russian servicemen in return.

Ukraine and Russia have conducted three exchanges of prisoners of war so far, but have not disclosed exact numbers. REUTERS

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