KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine has repatriated the remains of 1,200 fallen soldiers as part of an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, according to Ukrainian officials on Friday. This repatriation reflects one of the largest returns of remains since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which began more than three years ago.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine announced that the bodies returned by Russia reportedly belong to Ukrainian citizens, specifically military personnel. The repatriation operation was facilitated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Security Service, the Interior Ministry, and other governmental agencies, as forensic experts prepare to identify the remains.
Earlier in the week, Russia had returned a total of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers while receiving 27 of its own deceased troops in return. The agreement concerning the exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and the remains of fallen soldiers was a significant outcome of the talks held in Istanbul on June 2.
Additionally, the two sides conducted a prisoner swap on Thursday that included severely wounded and gravely ill captives, although neither side disclosed the specific numbers involved in these exchanges. Aside from the agreement on POWs and body repatriation, memorandums detailing conditions for a potential ceasefire were also exchanged during the talks.
However, progress towards a quick resolution seems unlikely due to the presence of clauses within these memorandums deemed nonstarters by both parties. As discussions of a potential truce continue, Russian forces have recently intensified their military actions, launching waves of drone and missile attacks against Ukraine.
Ukraine's air force reported on Friday that in the overnight hours, Russia deployed 55 Shahed and decoy drones along with four ballistic missiles aimed at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses successfully neutralized 43 of these drones with no immediate reports of casualties or damages resulting from the attack. In response, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses brought down 125 Ukrainian drones over various regions of Russia and in the annexed Crimea late Thursday into Friday.
The ongoing military conflict continues to see sporadic exchanges of hostilities, as well as efforts for diplomatic engagements, with the repatriation of soldiers' remains serving as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the war.
