Moscow: Russia ready to return 6,000 war dead, awaits Kyiv’s response

Russia has confirmed its readiness to implement an agreement reached in Istanbul on the repatriation of the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Speaking at a press briefing on June 10, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow is prepared to move forward with the transfer as outlined in the terms of the Istanbul deal, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

“We are fully prepared to fulfil the relevant agreement,” Zakharova said. “We expect a reciprocal approach from the Ukrainian side.”

Meanwhile, on June 11, Ukraine received the remains of 1,212 fallen defenders, including soldiers who died fighting in the east and south of the country, as well as in Russia’s Kursk region.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the return on Telegram. The recovered bodies come from several areas: Kursk (Russia), Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

This repatriation was made possible through the combined efforts of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters, the Security Service (SBU), Armed Forces (AFU), Ministry of Internal Affairs, Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, State Emergency Service, and other security bodies. The International Committee of the Red Cross also supported the operation.

The remains will be handed over to law enforcement and forensic experts for identification.

Earlier, during talks in Istanbul on June 2, Ukraine and Russia agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange, including the transfer of severely wounded prisoners and military personnel aged 18 to 25.

By Aghakazim Guliyev