In a sudden shift, Ukraine has indefinitely postponed its humanitarian exchange with Russia, halting the handover of both prisoners and the remains of fallen soldiers, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky announced on Saturday.
“In strict accordance with the Istanbul agreements, on June 6, Russia began a humanitarian operation to hand over to Ukraine more than 6,000 bodies of killed Ukrainian servicemen, as well as to exchange wounded and seriously ill prisoners and prisoners under the age of 25,” Medinsky wrote on Telegram.
According to the aide, 1,212 bodies of killed Ukrainian soldiers are currently stored in refrigerated containers at the designated exchange point. Russia also provided Ukraine with an initial list of 640 detainees—categorized as wounded, seriously ill, or under 25—to kick off the swap process.
As of now, there has been no official response from Kyiv. Families on both sides await clarity, hoping the pause doesn’t stretch into a longer humanitarian impasse.
The suspension underscores the challenges of carrying out large-scale exchanges amid ongoing hostilities. Observers say renewed dialogue and third-party mediation could be key to restarting the process and bringing relief to families desperate for closure.
Reference(s):
Russia says Ukraine postpones prisoner exchange, accepting bodies
cgtn.com
