Russia has returned the bodies of 1,200 individuals it claims are Ukrainian citizens killed in the war, Ukrainian authorities reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, intense combat rages on, with Russia claiming control over a village in the Donetsk region.
The repatriations follow two rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul, which resulted in agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of deceased soldiers but brought little progress toward ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now nearing 40 months since it began in February 2022.
“Another 1,200 bodies, which the Russian side claims are Ukrainian citizens, including soldiers, have been returned to Ukraine,” said Ukraine’s Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War via Telegram. Authorities are now working to identify the remains.
This brings the total number of bodies returned by Russia to Ukraine to 4,012. In contrast, Moscow has confirmed the repatriation of only 27 Russian soldiers’ bodies from Ukraine so far. According to Russian state media citing anonymous sources, no Russian remains were returned during the June 15th exchange.
Fierce Battles in Donetsk
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed on Sunday that its forces had captured the village of Malynivka in the Donetsk region — a hotspot of some of the war’s fiercest fighting. The ministry also said it carried out a successful overnight missile strike on an oil refinery in Kremenchuk, Poltava, which allegedly supplied fuel to Ukrainian forces in Donetsk. The claims have not been independently verified.
Additionally, Russia stated that its air defense systems shot down 128 Ukrainian drones and two guided missiles in the past 24 hours.
Ukraine Responds: 183 Drones, 11 Missiles Launched by Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered by reporting that Russia launched at least 183 attack drones and 11 missiles overnight, of which 167 were destroyed by Ukraine’s air defenses.
“The attack was primarily aimed at Poltava region, especially Kremenchuk,” Zelenskyy said on social media.
He emphasized the need for stronger sanctions against Russia:
“Moscow has done this for four years and is steadily increasing the number of attacks. That’s why it’s crucial to decide on tougher sanctions in the coming weeks.”
Zelenskyy called on the U.S., European Union, and G7 countries to act.
G7 Summit and Trump’s Involvement
Leaders of the G7 — including the U.S., UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan — will meet June 15–17 in Canada. The summit is expected to be dominated by escalating conflicts, notably between Israel and Iran.
President Zelenskyy plans to attend and meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, who since his second term began in January has pushed to mediate an end to the Russia–Ukraine war and improve ties with the Kremlin.
Trump has warned of new sanctions against Russia if Moscow shows no willingness for peace, though he has yet to implement them. He has also suggested Ukraine could face consequences if negotiations stall.
Following a phone call on June 14, Trump wrote on Truth Social:
“Putin feels, as I do, that the war between Israel and Iran must end — and I explained that his war must also end.”
