Kyiv receives remains of 1,200 more Ukrainians from Moscow as repatriations continue

Russia has transferred the remains of another 1,200 Ukrainian citizens to Kyiv’s possession, the third such transferral to be completed since the two sides signed a repatriation agreement following face-to-face negotiations in Istanbul at the start of June.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced that Ukraine had received another 1,200 bodies, “which the Russian side claims belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel”, and reported that law enforcement experts were beginning a process of examination and identification of the remains.

This follows news that a second exchange of remains was completed on Friday, with 1,200 Ukrainian servicemen being repatriated to Kyiv, though Russian state-owned news agencies noted that Moscow did not receive “even one” body in return.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian Defence Ministry, another exchange of prisoners of war took place on Saturday, though neither side specified how many POWs had participated in the exchange.

Repatriations are expected to be concluded later in the month, Zelensky said on Friday: “You see what kind of process this is, it’s not simple … The agreement is that after the exchanges are completed the parties will discuss the next step. We expect that they can be completed on the 20th or 21st [of June],” he said on Friday.

Russia and Ukraine originally agreed to a 6,000-for-6,000 deal governing the repatriation of each side’s combatants, as well as a major exchange of seriously wounded and young POWs, following the latest round of negotiations in Istanbul on 2 June.

Pro-Kremlin sources say that Russia has so far only received the remains of 27 soldiers. Ukraine has not yet commented as to whether or when more bodies will be delivered to Russia in accordance with the Istanbul agreement.