Russia has handed over the first group of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, in implementation of the humanitarian agreement reached between the parties on June 2 in Istanbul. The news was announced by Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin, a representative of the Russian negotiating group.
“In strict accordance with the agreements, the Russian side has handed over the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers prepared for repatriation in the exchange area,” Zorin stated, adding that the bodies were identified through uniforms and their discovery location.
He announced that trains carrying the bodies would depart towards the border within an hour and that more than 6,000 Ukrainian bodies are ready to be returned to their homeland in the next phases of the agreement.
Zorin emphasized that this is a purely humanitarian, not political, action, and awaits confirmation from the Ukrainian side to continue the operation next week.
