Russia delivers first batch of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies to exchange point

Moscow: Russia has delivered the first batch of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to the border exchange point pursuant to the Istanbul accords, said Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin.

Zorin, also a representative of the Russian negotiating group, said that Ukraine has not made contact, therefore the transfer of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners did not take place yet, Xinhua news agency reported.

Some foreign media representatives waiting at the agreed upon place of exchange have checked some of the refrigerated trucks transporting the bodies.

Zorin said that trains with more bodies of Ukrainian servicemen will start moving towards the border, adding that Russia is awaiting Kyiv’s official confirmation for transferring Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies next week.

This occurred amid an ongoing spat over a prisoner swap between the two sides. Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of postponing a scheduled prisoner exchange over the weekend, while Ukraine denied the accusation and urged Russia to stop playing “dirty games.”

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War claimed Saturday that although both Ukraine and Russia have reached a consensus on the exchange of the remains of fallen soldiers, they have not agreed on the date of the exchange.

During the talks between the two sides in Istanbul on Monday, Moscow agreed to return Ukraine 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers.

The trade of allegations comes amid escalating military actions on both sides, raising concerns over the prospects for renewed peace talks, analysts have noted.

–IANS