Ukraine reportedly received the remains of Russian soldiers.
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Russia is under suspicion for concocting deceitful practices in the handover of more than 6,000 soldier remains to Ukraine. The Ukrainian reports pinpoint that amidst these remains, there are not only Ukrainian victims but also Russian casualties, adding to the confusion. This is not a novel tactic, as Russia previously has been accused of tampering with remains[1].
In the recently conducted deliveries of Russian soldier bodies to Ukraine, the Interior Minister of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, disclosed that Kyiv received some remains belonging to Russian soldiers. Although there wasn't a specific count given, Klymenko emphasized the intentional obstruction by saying, "The enemy is intentionally complicating our identification process, causing chaos and mixing the bodies of Russian soldiers with those of Ukrainians." A series of photos have surfaced, showing a dead Russian soldier's alleged identification card and tag, handed over to Ukraine[2]. However, independent confirmations are yet to surface.
Policy News:Muzz: "Red Herring" How Dangerous is Putin's Threat to Germany? In the backdrop of the swapping of more than 6,000 bodies of soldiers from Russia to Ukraine, and Ukraine receiving over 50 bodies in return, this exchange was part of humanitarian agreements made in Istanbul in early June[3]. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the first official to openly criticize Russia's tactic of sending its own soldiers' remains to Ukraine.
Using the medium of Telegram, Zelenskyy highlighted severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers being exchanged between both warring parties during the fifth such exchange. Besides military personnel, border troops and national guard members were also included in the exchange. The majority of the released soldiers spent over three years in captivity[4].
On the 18th of August, Russia and Ukraine completed their fifth exchange of prisoners. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the exchange at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. Neither side disclosed the exact number of soldiers returned[5].
Sources:- ntv.de- chl/dpa
- Ukraine
- Russia
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-mutilating-dead-soldiers/a-59760530[2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-war-russia-bodies-identification-b1998581.html[3] https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-russia-agree-humanitarian-gestures-in-istanbul/a-55182113[4] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-severely-wounded-soldiers-received-home-prisoner-swap-2021-08-18/[5] https://www.dw.com/en/russia-ukraine-military-prisoner-swap-ongoing-ukrainian-defense-minister/a-59552073
The General-news section might discuss the recent allegations in the European Union's Politics forum about Russia's role in the delivery of soldier remains to Ukraine, which has raised concerns over international humanitarian agreements and war tactics.
Furthermore, the increasing suspicion that Russia is intentionally complicating the identification process by mixing the bodies of Russian soldiers with those of Ukrainians may have negative implications for the future of relations between the two nations, as broached in the Ukraine and Russia policies discussion.
