Introduction
Ukrainian officials have dismissed Russia's allegations regarding delays in the exchange of soldiers' bodies, calling on Moscow to engage constructively instead of resorting to tactics they deem misleading.Context
In statements made by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, Russia accused Ukraine of unexpectedly stalling the exchange of prisoners of war and the acceptance of fallen soldiers' bodies. This assertion follows the second round of peace talks held in Istanbul, where both nations agreed to facilitate the exchange of more prisoners, with an emphasis on the youngest and most critically injured, along with the repatriation of 12,000 deceased soldiers' bodies.Developments
Ukraine's state-run Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War countered that Russia's claims do not align with the reality of prior agreements regarding the repatriation of bodies or the prisoner exchange process. They clarified that while an agreement on repatriation was indeed reached, no specific date was set, and they criticized Russia for taking unilateral actions outside of the agreed-upon framework.In response to this ongoing situation, Medinsky noted that Russia had provided Ukraine with an initial list of 640 prisoners categorized as "wounded, seriously ill, and young people" to initiate the exchange. Ukraine has confirmed that it submitted its own list for exchanges; however, they contend that Russia’s priorities concerning which prisoners to exchange do not adhere to the previously established agreement.