Exchange of fallen soldiers' bodies expected next week, official says
The exchange of the bodies of deceased soldiers, agreed upon during Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, is scheduled for next week, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief (HUR), said on June 8.
"The start of repatriation measures following the negotiations in Istanbul is scheduled for next week, as authorized persons were informed on Tuesday (June 3)," Budanov posted on Telegram.
Budanov's statement comes just a day after Russia claimed that a prisoner swap had failed due to Ukraine's fault — an accusation Kyiv denied.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) said on June 7 that preparations for the exchange of bodies were underway, although no specific date had been confirmed.
Budanov condemned Russian propaganda efforts surrounding the matter.
"The attempts of some Russian propagandists to capitalize on human suffering, which they themselves are responsible for, sound particularly cynical," he said. "Especially on the great feast of Pentecost, which we are celebrating today."
On June 7, Russian media published a video showing refrigerators allegedly containing the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, claiming they had been delivered for exchange.
POW Coordination Headquarters deputy head Andrii Yusov told Ukrainian Pravda that the footage had been filmed inside Russia and not at a designated exchange site.
According to Budanov, Ukraine continues to honor the terms agreed during the June 2 Istanbul talks despite mounting Russian information pressure and attempts to impose unilateral conditions.
At the Istanbul meeting, both sides agreed to a new round of prisoner exchanges involving severely wounded personnel and individuals aged 18 to 25.
Russia also pledged to hand over 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers and officers. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 4 that the repatriation would follow the next POW swap.
The June 2 negotiations marked the second direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, after an earlier session on May 16. While no ceasefire or political settlement was reached, both rounds led to agreements on humanitarian measures.
Ukraine and Russia carried out the largest prisoner swap of the full-scale war from May 23 to 25, exchanging 1,000 captives each.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged Moscow to adopt an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange formula. While over 5,000 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity since March 2022, Russia continues to resist a comprehensive swap.
Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump admin diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles it promised to Ukraine and sent them to US troops, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Trump administration diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally meant for Kyiv to American forces in the Middle East. Zelensky revealed Sunday that he had secured a deal for the missiles under the Biden administration to counterattack Moscow's deadly, Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which have been at the center of Russia's mass bombardment campaign. 'We have big problems with Shaheds,' Zelensky told ABC News' 'This Week.' 'We counted on this project — 20,000 missiles. Anti-Shahed missiles. It was not expensive, but it's a special technology.' Advertisement 5 Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Trump administration diverted anti-drone missiles originally meant for Kyiv to American forces in the Middle East. ABC News 5 A firefighter extinguishes a fire at a civilian plant following powerful attacks to Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. AFP via Getty Images The diversion of the weapons was first reported by the Wall Street Journal last week, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly issuing an 'urgent' call to redirect the weapons on June 4 away from Ukraine. The missiles were instead sent off to American forces in the Middle East as the US braces for possible conflict with Iran over the stalled nuclear deal, as well as the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, according to the WSJ. Advertisement The order also coincided with Hegseth's absence from the most recent Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, which was the first time a DOD chief missed the conference since Russia began its invasion in 2022. Under Hegseth and Trump, the US has not approved any new military aid packages to Ukraine, with the administration previously putting a temporary halt on weapons shipments earlier this year. With Moscow ramping up its drone and missile strikes against Ukraine, Zelensky has called on the US to reaffirm its support for Kyiv and for President Trump to not give up on America's role mediating the strained cease-fire efforts. Advertisement 5 Under President Trump and Pete Hegseth, the US has not approved any new military aid packages to Ukraine. via REUTERS 5 Smoke billows after drone strikes in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion. SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 'I am convinced that the president of the United States has all the powers and enough leverage to step up,' Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine already backs the 30-day cease-fire deal proposed by the US. He also rejected Trump's latest characterization of the war as 'two young children fighting like crazy' in a playground. Advertisement 'We are not kids with Putin at the playground in the park. This is why I am saying he is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids,' he said. 5 'We are not kids with Putin at the playground in the park. This is why I am saying he is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids,' Zelensky said. AFP via Getty Images Along with renewed military aid, Ukraine is pushing the US to join the rest of the world in imposing new economic sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky maintains that sanctions from the US will hurt Moscow the hardest as he backed a proposal from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to slap 500% tariffs on any nation that buys Russian energy products.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Zelenskiy vows to press on with prisoner exchanges with Russia
(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Sunday to press on with prisoner exchanges with Russia and said any failure by Moscow to uphold humanitarian accords cast doubt over U.S. and other efforts to end the more than three-year-old conflict. Zelenskiy also warned Ukrainians to be attentive to air raid warnings in the aftermath of heavy Russian air attacks. The president was speaking a day after Russian officials accused Ukraine of postponing the latest prisoner swap indefinitely. A Ukrainian official had already rejected the Russian allegation. Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said Ukraine had not yet received the full list of prisoners to be released under agreements clinched in talks in Turkey. "The Russian side is therefore, like always, even in these matters, is trying to play some kind of dirty political and information game," Zelenskiy said. "The important thing is to get a result, to ensure that people are brought home. We believe that the exchanges will continue and will do everything for this. "If the Russians do not stand by agreements even in humanitarian matters, it casts great doubt on all international efforts -- including those by the United States in terms of talks and diplomacy." U.S. President Donald Trump has put pressure on both Ukraine and Russia to move towards a resolution on the war. Ukraine has said it backs a U.S. call for a 30-day ceasefire, while Russia says certain conditions must first be met. In concluding his address, Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to be especially attentive to air raid warnings. "In the coming days we must pay attention to air raid warnings," he said. "Look after yourselves, look after Ukraine."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy: Russia playing dirty game in prisoner exchange, undermining negotiation efforts
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia is attempting to play a dirty political and information game surrounding the exchange of prisoners and the return of fallen soldiers' bodies, which undermines the efforts of the US and the international community to facilitate negotiations. Source: Zelenskyy in an evening address Quote: "Today and yesterday, I spoke with Defence Minister [Rustem] Umierov, Head of Defence Intelligence [Kyrylo] Budanov and Security Service Head [Vasyl] Maliuk. Ukraine is continuing to do everything possible to ensure the release of our prisoners and the return of our fallen Ukrainian soldiers. The Russians have yet to provide a complete list of more than 1,000 people, which we agreed upon in Istanbul. In their usual fashion, the Russian side is trying to turn even these matters into a dirty political and information game." Details: Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine believes it will be possible to continue the exchange track and is doing everything necessary to achieve this. Quote: "And if the Russians fail to uphold agreements even in such humanitarian matters, it casts serious doubt on all international efforts, particularly the efforts of the US, to pursue negotiations and diplomacy." Background: On 7 June, Russia claimed that a prisoner exchange had been disrupted due to Ukraine. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs refuted this claim. Later, the Russians released footage showing refrigerated lorries and claimed they had delivered the first batch of fallen Ukrainians' bodies for exchange. Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters, told Ukrainska Pravda that the footage was filmed in Russia, not at or near the designated exchange site. On 8 June, Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), stated that repatriation of the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, agreed upon during negotiations in Istanbul, is scheduled for next week. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
