Russia and Ukraine exchanged the remains of 285 soldiers killed during the war, the RBC outlet reported Thursday, citing a Russian lawmaker.
Ukraine received the bodies of 261 of its soldiers while handing Russia the remains of 24 soldiers, said Shamsail Saraliyev, a State Duma lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and member of a parliamentary group dedicated to the conflict.
Repatriations of fallen soldiers and prisoner-of-war exchanges remain among the few channels of direct communication between Moscow and Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Friction over POW swaps emerged this week as Russia’s Human Rights Ombudswoman Yana Lantratova accused Ukraine of refusing the next exchange.
Lantratova on Wednesday and Thursday published a list of 497 Ukrainian prisoners of war and convicted soldiers whom she said Moscow was ready to hand over to Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which confirmed the latest exchange of the soldiers’ bodies, accused Lantratova of running a “disinformation campaign.”
The Coordination Headquarters claimed Russia was stalling negotiations while refusing independent medical observers access to Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia, where it said they are subjected to torture and mistreatment. It claimed to have identified 200 detention sites, including prisons and so-called “basements,” where Ukrainian POWs were being held.
“Only actual readiness to hold an exchange rather than broadcasting selective lists demonstrates a true desire to bring people home,” the Coordination Headquarters said earlier Thursday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
