Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Ukraine is indefinitely delaying a planned exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies, despite Moscow’s readiness and prior arrangements.
According to Alexander Zorin, head of the General Staff’s main directorate, Russia had initiated the return of over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers on June 6.
A convoy carrying 1,212 remains had already arrived at the exchange site, with four more trains—each transporting approximately 1,200 bodies—preparing for transfer.
Zorin affirmed Russia’s full commitment to the Istanbul agreements, offering to exchange all prisoners on an “all-for-all” basis, including the wounded, critically ill, and those under 25.
He added that a list of 640 names was submitted to Ukrainian authorities, who have yet to respond with a date for either receiving the bodies or reciprocating the prisoner exchange.
Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky echoed these claims, stating that Kyiv’s sudden refusal to proceed came despite Russia’s formal invitation to retrieve the bodies—an act aimed at giving families the right to a dignified burial.
He further invited international media to witness Russia’s preparedness on the ground, confirming that the initial batch of bodies had already reached the designated exchange zone, while additional shipments were en route.
Vladimir Medinsky spoke to us about Kiev’s sudden refusal to take back 6,000 bodies of their dead.
“Families will have opportunity to bury their close ones in a Christian manner. We are here, we are ready to fulfil our agreements. Accept the bodies, the POWs, and the sick. Let… pic.twitter.com/U91yDXYgtK
— Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) June 7, 2025
Medinsky accused Ukraine of obstructing the agreements, alleging that Kyiv may be stalling to avoid financial obligations—namely, compensation payments announced in 2023 of $257,000 per fallen soldier.
According to him, no Ukrainian families have received these funds to date, and concealing the return of such a large number of bodies is becoming increasingly difficult.
Moscow Pushes for Lasting Peace Amid Diplomatic Gridlock
The second round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations took place earlier this week at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace, lasting more than an hour and involving the exchange of memoranda on conflict resolution mechanisms.
Russia – Ukraine negotiations, Istanbul, Türkiye.
“We aim to discuss ceasefire requirements of both sides in Russia-Ukraine talks”. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
“We expect a real result from today’s meeting in Istanbul: a ceasefire, exchange of prisoners, return of… pic.twitter.com/PYXz41xplL
— Intel Edge (@Intel_edge1) June 2, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a government video conference, instructed Medinsky to present a full report on the outcomes of the talks. Medinsky noted that Kyiv expressed interest in a 30-day ceasefire to prepare for a potential summit, while Moscow insisted on negotiating a comprehensive peace agreement rather than settling for a temporary truce.
Despite ongoing dialogue, Ukraine has yet to act on its commitments, while Russia continues to push for implementation of the agreed exchanges—against the backdrop of mounting Ukrainian challenges related to prisoner numbers and unpaid death compensations.
Source: Al-Manar Website
