Russia delivers first batch of fallen Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies under Istanbul deal

The Russian side has delivered the first batch of bodies of deceased Ukrainian servicemen to an agreed exchange point, in line with arrangements reached during Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, according to Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin of the Russian negotiating team.

"In strict accordance with the agreements reached in Istanbul on June 2 and with the schedule coordinated with the Ukrainian side, Russia has delivered the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen prepared for repatriation to the designated exchange area. This is the first batch — 1,212 bodies — all identified as members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, either through uniforms or the locations where they were found," Zorin said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian news outlet TASS.

The scene in Russia’s Bryansk region, where refrigerated trucks holding the bodies are stationed, has drawn significant media attention. A TASS correspondent on-site reported the presence of journalists and film crews from France, Arab countries, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Latin American nations.

Previously, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, head of Moscow’s delegation in talks with Kyiv, announced that Russia had commenced a humanitarian operation on June 6 to hand over more than 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen and to facilitate the exchange of wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, as well as POWs under the age of 25.

However, Medinsky noted that Ukraine had "unexpectedly postponed indefinitely" both the reception of the bodies and the agreed prisoner exchange.

To recall, the second round of direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place on June 2, 2025, at Istanbul’s historic Çırağan Palace, under Turkish mediation.

Both sides committed to the reciprocal handover of 6,000 bodies of deceased servicemen, to be implemented in phased batches. Russia agreed to deliver 6,000 Ukrainian bodies—of which the first batch of 1,212 has now arrived at the exchange point—while Ukraine pledged to return an equivalent number of Russian remains.

The deal also included a framework for a substantial prisoner swap, targeting two categories: severely wounded or seriously ill prisoners of war and young POWs under the age of 25. Each side agreed to exchange at least 1,000 prisoners per category.

The negotiations also touched on sensitive humanitarian issues, including the fate of children allegedly abducted during the conflict. Ukraine presented a list of 339 to 400 missing children and pressed for their return; Russia promised limited cooperation but no comprehensive solution was reached.

By Khagan Isayev