Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Deception in Body Exchange

(MENAFN) Ukrainian Leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Saturday that 20 of the bodies recently returned from Russia in a repatriation of deceased soldiers were in fact Russian military personnel, with one identified as a foreign hired fighter.

While addressing the media, Zelenskyy asserted that Russia "lied" by claiming to hand over only fallen Ukrainian soldiers, revealing that several of the corpses were confirmed to be Russian nationals.

“This lie is documented; some of the bodies even had Russian passports,” he alleged, pointing to the presence of official documents as proof.

He did not reveal where or when the exchange occurred, only noting that the finding was made during "routine identification procedures."

In the same briefing, Zelenskyy unveiled the “Build with Ukraine” program, an initiative meant to strengthen Kyiv’s global military partnerships.

He stated that contracts would be finalized this summer to export Ukrainian defense systems and to begin shared manufacturing efforts in friendly nations.

“These weapons will be made for both them and us. We’re talking drones, missiles, and potentially artillery,” he said, outlining plans for the co-development of military hardware.

Zelenskyy also stressed the magnitude of investment in Ukraine’s defense, noting: “This year alone, USD43 billion has been allocated to support Ukraine’s defense industry.”

He appealed to the international community for a greater collective effort, urging each supportive country to dedicate 0.25 percent of its GDP to Ukraine’s defense in the coming year, portraying it as essential for Europe’s safety.

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