Kiev, June 16, (dpa/GNA) – Russia returned the bodies of another 1,200 fallen Ukrainian soldiers on Sunday, bringing the total to more than 4,800 this month, the coordination staff for prisoner-of-war affairs in Kiev reported.
Russian news outlets also reported the handover, part of several swaps was agreed to between the two warring sides in Istanbul on June 2. According to the reports, Russia did not receive any of its own fallen soldiers from Ukraine on Sunday.
Russia is planning to return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian staff referred to “bodies concerning Ukrainian citizens, primarily members of the military, according to Russian information.” It said they would have to be forensically identified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cast doubt on whether all the bodies returned are in fact those of Ukrainians, without providing evidence that bodies are being illegitimately attributed.
Ukraine expressed thanks to the Red Cross for its support in the handover. Ukraine has repeatedly kept back bodies in recent days, with the Russians receiving just over two dozen since the agreement was struck.
GNA