Silent Returns: The Human Cost of Conflict Exchanges

Russia has exchanged 1,212 Ukrainian servicemen bodies and received 27 bodies as per the Istanbul agreements. The negotiations also included arrangements to hand over 6,000 frozen bodies and conduct humanitarian exchanges. They have previously exchanged young prisoners of war.

In a solemn transfer facilitated by the Istanbul agreements, Russia returned 1,212 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen from the eastern front on Wednesday, while receiving 27 Russian bodies in return. Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky made the announcement via his Telegram channel.

At the second round of talks with Ukraine on June 2 in Istanbul, Medinsky proposed handing over 6,000 frozen bodies to Kiev without preconditions, demonstrating Moscow's willingness to reciprocate for Russian losses. Additionally, recent exchanges involved two batches of prisoners of war under 25 from both sides, also part of Istanbul's agreements.

Scheduled for June 12 is a humanitarian exchange of severely wounded prisoners at urgent hospitalization, Medinsky indicated, according to Vesti FM, keeping to the commitments of a fragile agreement in a turbulent conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)