Russia allegedly transfers control of 1200 more deceased individuals to Ukraine - Russia yields control over 1200 additional corpses to Ukraine
Hey there! Here's a lowdown on the current situation regarding the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies between Ukraine and Russia.
On three consecutive days – Saturday, Friday, and Wednesday – Ukraine received a total of 3600 bodies. Meanwhile, Russia has only acknowledged the return of 27 bodies of its soldiers. In all, Moscow has declared that it has returned 6000 bodies of Ukrainian fallen soldiers.
This exchange, the only tangible outcome from two rounds of negotiations held earlier in the month, serves as a connecting point for both nations. During the discussions, Russia turned down the demand for an immediate ceasefire and instead insisted on Ukraine surrendering large swathes of its territory and abandoning its plans for NATO membership.
Now, let's dive into a bit more detail. The prisoner exchange, which started on June 9, 2025, is focusing primarily on soldiers aged between 18-25. This set includes wounded and severely wounded soldiers from various branches of Ukraine's military and security forces. Among this group were Mariupol defenders who had been held captive for over three long years. The Russian prisoners returned were transported to Belarus for psychological and medical support before receiving additional treatment in Russia.
The exchange, taking place in stages, comprises part of the agreement reached during the second round of direct peace talks held in Istanbul on June 2, 2025. This exchange is the largest to occur during the conflict to date. Since March 2022, Ukraine has managed to bring home over 5,000 prisoners due to these exchanges.
However, broader negotiations aimed at a comprehensive peace agreement have yet to yield significant progress beyond the prisoner swaps and commitments to exchange thousands of bodies of fallen and severely wounded combatants held by both sides. If you're curious, a detailed schedule for returning bodies has not been made public as of yet.
Ukraine has been advocating for an "all-for-all" prisoner swap, which would involve releasing all prisoners being held by both sides. Russia, however, has thus far refused to accept this proposition. The ongoing exchanges primarily focus on wounded and younger soldiers, but they do not meet Ukraine's full demands.
To ensure adherence to human rights standards under the Geneva Convention, Ukrainian officials are carefully monitoring the exchange process. This level of coordination and transparency highlights the ongoing commitment of both nations to respect human rights during these exchanges.
In conclusion, Ukraine and Russia are actively engaging in staged prisoner exchanges, which have brought about positive changes, especially in the return of wounded and young soldiers. Even though comprehensive prisoner and body exchanges remain incomplete, Russia has yet to agree to Ukraine's broader demands for an all-encompassing swap. The public has yet to know the specific timeline for returning bodies, underlining the ongoing challenges and obstacles in the negotiations beyond the limited exchanges taking place at present.
Sources:[1]
On Sunday, Ukraine is expected to report another handover of 1,200 prisoners of war, following the exchange of 3,600 bodies that have already taken place on three consecutive days. The ongoing negotiations, marred by disagreements over a ceasefire and Ukraine's NATO membership, have also resulted in the handover of similar numbers by Russia, though specific numbers remain unclear. This development, occurring amidst the broader context of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news, further underscores the complexity of the ongoing situation.
