Introduction
Ukraine has postponed the exchange of prisoners of war and the retrieval of bodies of fallen soldiers indefinitely, as reported by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.Context
The postponement follows the recent second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul, where both sides aimed to facilitate the exchange of prisoners, particularly focusing on the youngest and most vulnerable individuals, as well as the return of the bodies of approximately 12,000 deceased soldiers.Developments
Medinsky stated on Telegram that "in strict accordance with the Istanbul agreements," Russia initiated a humanitarian operation on June 6 to transfer over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to Ukraine. Additionally, he mentioned plans to exchange wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, particularly those under the age of 25.Currently, 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers are stored in refrigerated containers at the designated exchange point. Russia has presented Ukraine with the first list of 640 prisoners of war, categorized as "wounded, seriously ill and young people," to facilitate the exchange process.
Medinsky noted that the Russian Defence Ministry's contact group is present at the border with Ukraine; however, Ukrainian negotiators are not currently at the exchange site. Ukrainian officials involved in the exchanges have not provided any comments regarding the situation.