Ukraine Receives 1,200 Unidentified Soldiers Bodies from Russia Amid Ongoing Peace Negotiations

Ukrainian officials announced on Friday that they had received 1,200 unidentified remains from Russia as a result of an agreement reached during peace negotiations in Istanbul.

«The remains of 1,200 deceased individuals were sent back to Ukraine,» stated the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. «According to Russian authorities, these remains belong to Ukrainian nationals, including military personnel.»

Last week, Russia declared its intention to unilaterally hand over the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers, which Ukraine has referred to as an «exchange.»

Doubts about the agreement surfaced over the weekend when Russia claimed that Ukraine had not retrieved the initial batch of bodies, while Ukrainian representatives accused Moscow of engaging in a «dirty political game.»

Earlier this week, Russia reported that it had transferred the remains of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers in the first phase of this arrangement.

The exchange of remains and ongoing prisoner swaps represent the only concrete results from two rounds of direct peace discussions in Istanbul.