Ukraine says repatriation of fallen soldiers complete – DW – 06/16/2025
Kyiv says the last stage of the return of bodies of Ukrainians by Russia is over, with more than 6,000 now repatriated. Meanwhile, Ukraine's president has made his first trip of the war to non-NATO member Austria.
Ukraine on Monday said it had received the remains of 1,245 soldiers killed in the war with Russia, marking the final stage of a large-scale repatriation agreement reached earlier this month during peace talks in Istanbul.
The deal represents one of the largest such exchanges since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
What has Kyiv said about the return of bodies?
Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the completion of the returns.
"Today marks the final stage of the repatriation of fallen soldiers," he said.
Since last week, when the implementation of the Istanbul agreements began, we have managed to bring back over 6,000 bodies."
Both countries have previously coordinated limited exchanges of prisoners and remains, but the Istanbul agreement marks a rare instance of cooperation on such a scale amid ongoing hostilities.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko on Monday accused Russia of deliberately hindering the identification of fallen soldiers by returning bodies in severely mutilated condition.
Russia faces huge losses in its war against Ukraine
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"Bodies are returned in an extremely mutilated state, parts of [the same] bodies are in different bags," Klymenko said in a post on Telegram. He also claimed that Ukraine had received the remains of Russian soldiers mixed with those of Ukrainians during earlier stages of the repatriation process last week.
Russia's defense ministry confirmed the handover, stating it had "fulfilled the agreement." Moscow also said it was prepared to return an additional 2,239 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen, in a move beyond what had been agreed in Istanbul.
Russia reported receiving the remains of 51 dead Russian soldiers in the latest exchange, bringing the total returned by Ukraine to 78.
Zelenskyy makes first trip of war to Austria
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Austria on Monday, where he was welcomed with military honors by President Alexander Van der Bellen.
Zelenskyy and his wife Olena met Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen Image: Heinz-Peter Bader/AP Photo/picture alliance
After talks and a joint press conference with Van der Bellen, Zelenskyy was expected to meet Chancellor Christian Stocker.
The occasion marks Zelenskyy's first visit to Austria since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While not a NATO member and officially militarily neutral, Austria does not claim political neutrality and, according to its Foreign Ministry, has provided around €300 million ($347 million) in bilateral financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighboring countries.
The visit drew criticism from Austria's far-right Freedom Party, known for its pro-Russian stance, which accused Zelenskyy of violating the country's neutrality.
After his stop in Vienna, Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the G7 summit in Canada where he is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Edited by Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
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