Ukraine repatriates 1,000 bodies under Istanbul agreement with Russia
Ukraine has repatriated 1,000 bodies based on a deal concluded with Russia in Istanbul, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) announced on July 17.
"According to the Russian side, the bodies belong to citizens of Ukraine, including soldiers," the Coordination Headquarters said on Telegram.
The news was also announced by Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, who further claimed that Ukraine handed over 19 bodies of Russian soldiers as part of the exchange.
Russia and Ukraine concluded a major agreement on the repatriation of around 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and citizens during peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.
That exchange, carried out in several phases, concluded on June 16, with 6,057 bodies returned to Ukraine under the deal.
Kyiv later said that Moscow included the bodies of several killed Russian soldiers in the transfer. Ukraine subsequently returned three killed Russian combatants to Russia.
The two rounds of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul in May and June failed to achieve any breakthrough toward ending the hostilities, though the two sides concluded agreements on new prisoner exchanges, including the largest swap of the war involving 1,000 captives on each side.
Kyiv has repeatedly urged Moscow to adopt an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange formula. While over 5,000 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity since March 2022, Russia continues to resist a comprehensive swap.
