Russia announced it has handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv in exchange for 35 Russian soldiers' bodies, amid a war that has stretched into its fifth year and preparations for a new round of talks mediated by the United States.
Russian authorities stated they delivered 1,000 bodies to Ukraine and received back 35 Russian bodies. Vladimir Medinsky, a key aide to Vladimir Putin, announced this via Telegram and shared images of the bodies being transported by truck, without providing further details.
A few hours later, Ukrainian officials confirmed they had received 1,000 bodies, which according to initial Russian information, are believed to be Ukrainian soldiers who died on the battlefield.
This exchange of soldiers' bodies is part of an agreement reached by both sides during talks in Istanbul in June 2025, allowing each side to return up to 6,000 bodies, including exchanging prisoners of war who are seriously ill, severely wounded, or under 25 years old.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, both sides have exchanged thousands of soldier bodies. However, the exact death toll remains a sensitive issue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently acknowledged approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died on the battlefield, though Western observers believe this figure may be understated as it excludes missing personnel.
Meanwhile, a public data review by British media outlet BBC has recorded nearly 186,000 Russian deaths, though the actual number is believed to be much higher since many frontline casualties are not officially documented.
Although daily Russian soldier deaths are estimated to be higher, Moscow has overall returned more bodies to Ukraine than it has received, a discrepancy yet to be clearly explained. Russia has accused Ukraine of not adhering to the Istanbul agreement, while Ukraine claims returns are sometimes inconsistent and have included mixed Russian bodies—a charge Moscow denies.
Analysts suggest one reason may be that the Russian military has mostly been the offensive force, enabling it to control battlefield areas and recover more Ukrainian bodies.
This humanitarian gesture coincides with ongoing military tensions. Just hours before talks in Geneva, Russia launched attacks on Ukraine using 420 drones and 39 missiles across six regions, injuring dozens, according to President Zelensky.
The Geneva meeting was significant as it involved the Ukrainian chief negotiator and a delegation representing former U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on economic plans and post-war recovery.
Additionally, preparations are underway for trilateral talks including Russia, with the United States acting as mediator, aiming to pave the way for concrete peace negotiations.
Prior to the Geneva meeting, Zelensky spoke by phone with Trump, stating that the meeting could lead to trilateral negotiations in early March and potentially elevate talks to the leadership level.
Zelensky views this as the only way to resolve all complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war, emphasizing that Trump supports this sequence of steps.
However, Putin continues to refuse to meet Zelensky, arguing that the Ukrainian leader lacks legitimacy because he did not hold presidential elections after his term ended in March 2024.
:BBC
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