Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 individuals it claims were Ukrainian soldiers, Ukrainian officials said Thursday, marking one of the largest repatriation efforts since the conflict began.
The exchange follows two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul, which have failed to secure a ceasefire but have resulted in some humanitarian agreements, including large-scale prisoner swaps and the return of deceased soldiers.
Ukraine’s coordinating body for prisoners of war confirmed the receipt of the remains and reiterated concerns that Russia may have included Russian corpses among those labelled Ukrainian.
In return, Ukraine handed over the remains of 19 Russian soldiers, according to Russian negotiator and Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who shared images of body bags being transferred from refrigerated trucks.
Despite growing international pressure — particularly from U.S. President Donald Trump — Russia has rejected a ceasefire. At the most recent talks, Moscow reiterated its demand for Kyiv to cede territory and renounce Western military aid. Ukraine dismissed the proposals as unacceptable.
The repatriation of remains and prisoner exchanges remain among the few functioning diplomatic mechanisms amid the prolonged three-year war.
