Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a stark reminder of the war’s human toll, Russia has agreed to return nearly 6,000 frozen corpses of Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv under a new prisoner exchange deal. This agreement was reached during the second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, although the negotiations ended without any clear diplomatic breakthrough.
The talks, held on Monday in Istanbul, saw no major progress on ceasefire efforts, particularly as Russia dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for an immediate truce. However, negotiators did finalize a humanitarian agreement involving the exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and the transfer of deceased soldiers’ remains.
Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the deal, stating that the handover of 6,000 identified Ukrainian bodies would be completed by next week. “We have preserved these bodies with respect, conducted DNA tests, and identified as many as possible. They will be returned so that their families can give them a proper burial,” he said.
In addition to the dead, both sides agreed to exchange all severely wounded and critically ill soldiers, as well as captives under the age of 25. Medinsky emphasized that this was a “humanitarian gesture” by Russia. A minimum quota of 1,000 prisoners per side is expected to be part of the exchange, with final numbers being coordinated.
As part of the evolving cooperation, the two nations also agreed to set up a permanent medical commission. This body will compile and verify medical records of injured soldiers independent of political developments.
Addressing the controversial issue of alleged child abductions, Medinsky responded to claims that Russia had forcibly relocated Ukrainian children. He dismissed accusations of mass abduction as “wildly exaggerated,” stating that Russia had only received an official list of 339 names from Ukraine. “We will investigate each case. Not a single child was abducted. Many were rescued from conflict zones by our soldiers,” he claimed.
He added that if families of these children can be identified, the children would be returned immediately.
The Istanbul negotiations came a day after Ukraine launched a successful drone strike deep inside Russian territory, an act that underscored the ongoing intensity of the conflict. The talks lasted roughly an hour and ended without consensus, especially as Moscow remains firm in rejecting external pressure for an immediate ceasefire, including those by former U.S. President Trump.
