Latest news with #humanitariangesture
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia accuses Ukraine of self-inflicted genocide in feud over troop remains
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has branded Ukraine's failure to receive the bodies of its fallen soldiers an act of self-genocide, accusing Kiev of turning its back on its own people in both life and death. During talks between the two sides in Istanbul on Monday, Moscow decided to return the bodies of over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in a unilateral humanitarian gesture. However, Russia's top negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said on Saturday that the Ukrainian team failed to show up when the first batch of remains was delivered to the exchange point on the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Zakharova took to Telegram later on Saturday to slam the deliberate inaction of Vladimir Zelensky's government, saying that it 'does not need its people; neither dead nor alive.' 'There is no nation or ethnic group in the world that would refuse to bury its soldiers. But there is the Kiev regime, which professes a misanthropic ideology and is committing genocide against its own people,' Zakharova wrote. Russian MP Dmitry Belik, who is a member of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, told RT that one of the reasons for Ukraine failing to accept the bodies of its soldiers could be its unwillingness to pay compensation to their families. 'This is how – thinking of how to stuff their own wallets and not give a penny to their citizens – the Kiev regime, led by Zelensky, pursues its bloody policy and destroys its own people,' Belik argued. Former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof also suggested that Ukraine's decision could be rooted in financial concerns. 'I think they are embarrassed by the numbers,' he told RT. 'I've heard sums up around more than a billion dollars that they would have to repay to families – and they don't have the money,' he added. The chairman of the Russian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, told RT that the move by the Ukrainian authorities is an example of 'rare cynicism and a disregard for the memory of their own fallen servicemen.' 'In a war to the last Ukrainian, they are exclusively focused on preserving their own power, even at the cost of actual sacrilege,' Slutsky said. Kiev explained its refusal to collect the remains of its troops by claiming the date of the transfer had not yet been agreed upon.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia publishes names of fallen Ukrainian soldiers disowned by Kiev
Russian officials have unveiled the identities of nearly 100 slain Ukrainian soldiers, part of over 6,000 bodies Moscow has offered to return to Kiev in a unilateral humanitarian gesture during the latest round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday. The governor of Russia's Zaporozhye Region, Evgeny Balitsky, published the first six pages containing 97 names, identification documents, and places of death on Saturday evening, after Ukraine reportedly refused to receive the remains of thousands of its fallen troops. 'We are beginning to publish lists of identified bodies so that relatives can find their dead,' he wrote. 'We understand that Kiev has this data, but they are deliberately hiding it from the public.' The Istanbul talks resulted in an agreement to exchange at least 1,000 prisoners on both sides, including critically ill and younger detainees. Russia also offered to return over 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers for proper burial as part of a unilateral humanitarian initiative. The first convoy, carrying the remains of 1,212 troops, arrived at the designated exchange point on Saturday – but the Ukrainian side failed to appear, according to Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin, a member of the Russian negotiating team. 'The Ukrainian side unexpectedly postponed both the acceptance of bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war for an indefinite period,' Zorin said. Russia's lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed that Kiev had been handed a list of 640 wounded and young prisoners but did not show up at the exchange site. 'The reasons provided were various and rather strange,' he said, urging Kiev to 'adhere strictly to the schedule and agreements' and ensure the dead receive a proper burial. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters has denied the accusations, claiming that both sides have been preparing for the prisoner and body exchanges. Ukrainian media later reported that the process had been postponed until next week, though no official new date has been confirmed. Balitsky accused Kiev of deliberately obstructing the return of the bodies, alleging that Ukrainian authorities are trying to conceal the scale of their military losses and avoid paying compensation to the families of the dead. 'As long as a Ukrainian soldier is listed as missing, his family will not receive a single hryvnia in aid,' the governor said. 'This is a calculated attempt to hide the losses and save money.' The refusal to retrieve the bodies is part of a broader pattern of violations by Ukraine, Balitsky argued, claiming Kiev 'does not even attempt to honor agreements.' He also blamed Western countries for 'derailing peaceful resolution efforts' by continuing to arm Kiev and escalate the conflict.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia indicated readiness to prioritize POW swap with Ukraine
The Russian delegation made it clear to the Ukrainian team during the latest round of direct talks in Istanbul that Moscow was willing to prioritize and expedite a prisoner exchange, as well as the repatriation of the dead, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin has revealed. His comment came shortly after Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of refusing to accept the return of its own POWs and the remains of its fallen troops on 'strange' pretexts. A major prisoner exchange, focusing on those heavily wounded and those under 25, was among the key points agreed upon by Moscow and Kiev during the negotiations in Türkiye on June 2. Additionally, Russia unilaterally offered to repatriate the bodies of over 6,000 slain Ukrainian military personnel as a humanitarian gesture. Speaking later on Saturday, Fomin stated that 'while discussing this topic with the Ukrainian delegation [in Istanbul], we specifically emphasized our readiness to address these issues on a priority basis and as swiftly as possible.' He added that on returning to Moscow, Russian officials immediately began preparing for the swap. Fomin characterized the discussions on the matter earlier this month as 'productive' and yielding 'concrete agreements.' He stressed that Russian officials had relayed their proposals to the Ukrainians in advance and that Moscow had been ready to conduct the swap this week, having dispatched its technical team to the Belarus-Ukraine border to work out the specifics. 'Yet, we still have not received Kiev's agreement to conduct humanitarian operations,' the deputy defense minister explained, adding that Ukrainian officials did not show up at the meeting point. Fomin said that Kiev has yet to provide a reason for the delay in the swap. He expressed hope that Ukrainian authorities would soon act on Moscow's proposal, emphasizing Russia's readiness to honor the agreement reached in Istanbul on Monday. Following the first round of direct talks in Istanbul last month, Moscow and Kiev successfully conducted a large prisoner exchange.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia accuses Ukraine of self-genocide in feud over troop remains
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has branded Ukraine's failure to receive the bodies of its fallen soldiers an act of self-genocide, accusing Kiev of turning its back on its own people in both life and death. During talks between the two sides in Istanbul on Monday, Moscow decided to return the bodies of over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in a unilateral humanitarian gesture. However, Russia's top negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said on Saturday that the Ukrainian team failed to show up when the first batch of remains was delivered to the exchange point on the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Zakharova took to Telegram later on Saturday to slam the deliberate inaction of Vladimir Zelensky's government, saying that it 'does not need its people; neither dead nor alive.' 'There is no nation or ethnic group in the world that would refuse to bury its soldiers. But there is the Kiev regime, which professes a misanthropic ideology and is committing genocide against its own people,' Zakharova wrote. Russian MP Dmitry Belik, who is a member of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, told RT that one of the reasons for Ukraine failing to accept the bodies of its soldiers could be its unwillingness to pay compensation to their families. 'This is how – thinking of how to stuff their own wallets and not give a penny to their citizens – the Kiev regime, led by Zelensky, pursues its bloody policy and destroys its own people,' Belik argued. Former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof also suggested that Ukraine's decision could be rooted in financial concerns. 'I think they are embarrassed by the numbers,' he told RT. 'I've heard sums up around more than a billion dollars that they would have to repay to families – and they don't have the money,' he added. The chairman of the Russian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, told RT that the move by the Ukrainian authorities is an example of 'rare cynicism and a disregard for the memory of their own fallen servicemen.' 'In a war to the last Ukrainian, they are exclusively focused on preserving their own power, even at the cost of actual sacrilege,' Slutsky said. Kiev explained its refusal to collect the remains of its troops by claiming the date of the transfer had not yet been agreed upon.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine's shame: Why Kiev refuses to take back its dead and wounded
As refrigerated trucks sit idling on the Russian side of the border, carrying the bodies of over a thousand Ukrainian soldiers – the first batch of the 6,000 Russia has offered to return – Kiev remains silent. No Ukrainian officials have shown up. No representatives have been dispatched to accept the remains. No families have been informed of the long-awaited closure. This delay, coming after a prisoner exchange and body repatriation was formally agreed upon in Istanbul, is not a bureaucratic hiccup or a logistical oversight. It is an act of calculated evasion. While Moscow fulfills its end of the agreement – a humanitarian gesture amid a brutal war – Kiev dithers. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claims that only 15% of the bodies have been identified and even casts doubt on whether all of them are Ukrainian soldiers at all. These comments, rather than signaling caution, reek of an attempt to stall, distract, and deflect from a far more uncomfortable reality: Ukraine cannot afford to acknowledge its war dead. And worse – it appears it no longer wants to. As Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, bluntly stated: 'Ukraine has unexpectedly postponed the transfer of the bodies of its deceased soldiers, and not a single representative showed up to accept them. The trucks are waiting at the agreed location. We are ready. Kiev is not.' Under Ukrainian law, each family of a soldier killed in action is entitled to 15 million Ukrainian hryvnias (~$360,000). Accepting all 6,000 bodies would trigger 90 billion UAH in mandatory payouts – nearly 10% of the nation's entire 2025 defense budget. This budget is already facing a 200-billion-UAH deficit. The incentives are obvious. The consequences are shameful. Acknowledging the dead means acknowledging the debt owed to their families. But by dragging its feet, questioning identities, and introducing delays, the Ukrainian state appears to be doing everything in its power to avoid honoring its obligations. But Kiev's betrayal doesn't end with the dead. In Istanbul, both sides also agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war, prioritizing the heavily wounded and severely ill. It was, on paper, a step toward alleviating unnecessary suffering – something even war should pause for. Yet that exchange has also been derailed – not by Moscow. According to Russian officials, Ukraine has failed to follow through on the agreed timeline. No coherent reason has been given. It's hard not to draw a grim parallel: just as Kiev has financial incentives to avoid returning and compensating the dead, it may also have reasons to avoid repatriating its living. Caring for disabled, traumatized, and grievously ill POWs would divert funds and medical capacity from the war effort. And in the cold calculus of war, perhaps Kiev has decided that these men – broken, suffering, no longer combat-effective – are no longer worth the cost. This is more than a fiscal decision. It is a betrayal of the fallen. A betrayal of the captured. A betrayal of every family that has waited for closure, and every soldier still clinging to hope. What is that money being saved for? To send more young men to the front, only to vanish without closure? To finance another wave of deaths, while yesterday's heroes lie forgotten in refrigerated trucks and prison cells? Even at the height of war, there are lines that should not be crossed. Refusing to bring your own fallen home is one of them. Refusing to bring your living wounded home is another. Kyiv must do the right thing – not the cheap thing. Accept the bodies. Free the prisoners. Pay the families. Care for the broken. Anything less is a national disgrace.
