Ukraine Ignores Exchange with Russia

A Halt on the Peace Track. Ukraine has indefinitely postponed the implementation of the Istanbul agreements on prisoner exchanges. Meanwhile, since June 6, Russia has launched a large-scale humanitarian operation to repatriate over 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, as well as to facilitate prisoner exchanges. However, Kiev has slowed down the process. They claimed that the date for transferring the bodies was allegedly not agreed upon and even attempted to accuse Russia of "unilateral actions."

Moscow persistently urges Ukrainian negotiators to strictly adhere to the agreements reached, emphasizing that they should consider not just their diplomatic image but, most importantly, the Ukrainian people who are awaiting their loved ones.

Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of Russia:

"In full accordance with the agreements reached in Istanbul, we have prepared over six thousand bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, which are stored in refrigerated and specially equipped wagons resembling those used by the Ukrainian military, many with documents, for transfer to the Ukrainian side. Additionally, we have prepared lists of servicemen categorized as 'wounded,' 'seriously ill,' and 'under 25 years old,' totaling approximately 1,200 people from each side, ready for immediate transfer to Ukraine. According to the schedule approved in Istanbul, the exchanges were supposed to begin today. Our representatives arrived at the border, at the exchange point, but, unfortunately, we still do not understand why—the Ukrainian side’s representatives and delegation are absent, and the lists are missing."

According to media reports citing Ukrainian Coordination Center representative Yatsenko, the prisoner exchange has been postponed to next week. Several experts believe that Kiev's rude behavior reflects the true scale of the military catastrophe for Ukraine, revealing their reluctance to acknowledge the extent of their losses. For the Kiev regime, the delay in the exchange is also a way to avoid significant expenses, as transferring 6,000 bodies of Ukrainians would entail enormous costs from the budget for compensations to their families.