Introduction
Russia has expressed its readiness to repatriate the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the ongoing conflict, with refrigerated trucks waiting at the border. However, negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv regarding the details of the exchange are still underway.Context
During talks in Istanbul on June 2, both sides reached an agreement to repatriate the bodies of soldiers, alongside a commitment to exchange prisoners of war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of manipulating the situation for political leverage.Developments
Russia claims to have prepared the bodies of over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers for transfer and is willing to receive the remains of Russian soldiers that Kyiv can return. However, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky reported that when the Russian side arrived at the designated exchange point with the bodies of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers, no Ukrainian representatives were present.Ukrainian officials have not provided comments regarding the situation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that while Russia remains open to returning the bodies and continues discussions with Kyiv, the exact number of Russian bodies that Ukraine is prepared to exchange is still unknown. He emphasized that the logistics for the transfer have been in place for several days and reiterated that the refrigerated trucks are ready for the process.