Russia claims Ukraine committed self-inflicted genocide in feud due to troop remains

(MENAFN) Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has condemned Ukraine for refusing to receive the bodies of its deceased soldiers, calling it an act of self-genocide and accusing Kyiv of abandoning its own people both in life and death.

Following talks in Istanbul, Russia unilaterally decided to return the remains of more than 6,000 Ukrainian troops as a humanitarian gesture. However, Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, revealed that the Ukrainian delegation did not appear at the designated exchange point on the Belarus-Ukraine border to collect the first batch of bodies.

On Telegram, Zakharova criticized the Ukrainian government’s inaction, accusing President Vladimir Zelensky’s administration of rejecting its people. “No nation or ethnic group in the world would refuse to bury its soldiers, except for the Kiev regime, which follows a misanthropic ideology and commits genocide against its own people,” she stated.

Russian MP Dmitry Belik, from the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, claimed Ukraine’s refusal might stem from reluctance to pay compensation to soldiers’ families. He argued the Kyiv leadership prioritizes personal gain over its citizens’ welfare. Former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof suggested financial concerns could be behind Ukraine’s decision, estimating potential compensation could exceed one billion dollars—money Ukraine reportedly lacks.

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, described Ukraine’s refusal as a cynical disregard for its fallen soldiers’ memory. He accused Kyiv of prioritizing its political power over honoring those who died in the conflict.

Ukraine, meanwhile, stated it had not accepted the bodies because no transfer date had been agreed upon.

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