‘Threw corpses of their citizens at us': Zelenskyy says Russia sent its own dead back to Ukraine in PoW exchanges
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of returning at least 20 dead Russian soldiers to Kyiv during recent exchanges of prisoners of war and fallen troops. 'They threw the corpses of their citizens at us,' Zelenskyy said, as per The Guardian.
Among the remains Ukraine received was reportedly an 'Israeli mercenary' who had been fighting for Russia. While the identities of the dead were not officially disclosed, Zelenskyy claimed 'sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports.'
Russia insisted the bodies were all Ukrainian.
On June 20th, Zelenskyy announced that another group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had returned home following a prisoner exchange with Russia the previous day. 'Most of the warriors returning today from Russian captivity had been held for over two years. And now, at last, they are home,' Zelenskyy said in a post on X, though he did not specify the number of individuals involved in the swap.
Most of the warriors returning today from Russian captivity had been held for over two years. And now, at last, they are home.
These are defenders of Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions. Warriors of the Armed Forces, the National… pic.twitter.com/54bidDlCt2
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 20, 2025
Zelenskyy also accused several Western and Asian companies of indirectly enabling Russia's war effort by supplying 'machine tools' used in weapons manufacturing, reported The Guardian. According to the Ukrainian leader, companies based in Germany, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Japan—and even a few from the United States—are among those identified.
While he said most suppliers are from China, dozens of firms from the West are allegedly involved as well.
'We have passed on all this information to all countries, our partners, everyone… We strongly urge everyone to impose sanctions on these companies.'
Russian forces continue to press westward through the Donetsk region, striking key eastern towns including Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. One person was killed and three injured in Sloviansk, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin, as reported by The Guardian. Kramatorsk also reported injuries and at least one person trapped under rubble.
In the north, Ukrainian officials said a drone attack near the Russian border killed one person and damaged infrastructure in Nizhyn. In the Kharkiv region, reports suggest Russian forces are closing in on Kupiansk, with Moscow claiming it had seized the nearby village of Moskovka.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, on Thursday, wrote in a post on X, 'Ukraine remains committed to peace. Unfortunately, Russia continues to choose war, disregarding US efforts to end the killing.' Ukrainian officials fear that if the US-led efforts to broker peace result in freezing current frontlines, Moscow's grip over seized regions could become permanent.
(With inputs from The Guardian, The Kyiv Independent)
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