Russia Began on June 6 Transfer of Over 6,000 Bodies to Ukraine, Exchange Wounded & POWs: Medinsky
13:06 07.06.2025 (Updated: 14:29 07.06.2025)
© Sputnik . Evgeny Biyatov
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The head of the Russian negotiating team made the statement in light of the fact that the Ukrainian side did not show up for the pre-agreed exchange at the appointed place and day.
On June 6, Russia started the process of handing over to Ukraine more than 6,000 bodies of the dead and exchange of wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war (POW), according to the agreements reached at the last round of talks in Istanbul, Russian presidential aide and head of Russia's delegation to the talks Vladimir Medinsky said.
During the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks, held in Istanbul on Monday, Moscow proposed to unilaterally transfer 6,000 frozen bodies of Ukraine's servicemen to Kiev. The sides also agreed on the largest prisoner exchange and exchange of seriously ill and wounded soldiers "all for all."
"We're on site. We're in complete readiness for work. Russia always keeps its word," the top negotiator said on Telegram.
However, the Ukrainian side unexpectedly postponed both acceptance of bodies and exchange of prisoners of war for indefinite period, he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry's contact group is on the border with Ukraine, but the Ukrainian negotiating team has not even arrived at the exchange site.
"For some reason, their negotiation team did not even arrive at the exchange site. Various reasons have been cited—many of them quite strange," the Russian official noted.
Key statements by Medinsky:
Russia handed over to Ukraine first list of 640 POWs in categories 'wounded, seriously ill and youth' in order to begin exchange;
The first batch of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers has already arrived in refrigerated trucks to exchange area, the rest are on the way;
Russia urges Kiev to accept bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers;
Russia calls on Kiev to clearly observe the agreements reached in Istanbul and immediately start exchanging prisoners of war;
International media can come to site of planned prisoner exchange with Ukraine and see that Russia is fully prepared for work.
