Ukraine pursues "6000 for 6000" exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies with Russia

Ukraine is actively working on a large-scale exchange of the bodies of fallen soldiers with Russia under an agreement to return 6,000 remains in exchange for 6,000 from the opposing side. This process is part of a broader understanding reached between the two countries.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the ongoing efforts in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence on Telegram. He noted that today marked the first phase of a major prisoner exchange, which involved the return of young servicemen under the age of 25, Caliber.Az reports.

The Istanbul agreements outline a phased approach to the exchange of prisoners of war, prioritising specific groups, including the severely wounded, those suffering serious illnesses, and young military personnel under 25.

Minister Umerov emphasised that the exchange operations will continue over the coming days. He also highlighted the sensitive and emotional task of repatriating the bodies of fallen Ukrainian defenders, more than 6,000 of whom sacrificed their lives for Ukraine’s freedom.

“The process of returning our heroes ‘on the shield’ is an important part of the agreements and Ukraine is working daily to make the ‘all for all’ exchange a reality,” Umerov said.

Earlier, during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia agreed to the “6000 for 6000” format specifically for the exchange of war dead.

However, conflicting reports have emerged. Vladimir Rogov, head of the Public Chamber commission of the Russian Federation, claimed last week that Russia had already returned 503 bodies to Ukraine, while Ukraine had returned 42 bodies to Russia. Ukrainian authorities have denied these figures, labelling the claims as misinformation.

By Vugar Khalilov