Russia fulfills Istanbul vows

(MENAFN)
Russia has handed over the remains of more than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers, fulfilling its part of a humanitarian agreement reached during direct talks in Türkiye, according to Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow’s lead negotiator in the Ukraine conflict.

In a statement posted on Telegram Monday, Medinsky said that Russia had returned a total of 6,060 sets of military remains to Ukraine, while Kiev had only returned the bodies of 78 Russian troops. The exchange was part of a deal made in June, during negotiations involving Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who had previously indicated Ukraine would return a matching number of bodies.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky estimated in April that up to 100,000 Ukrainian troops had died since the 2022 escalation of the war. Russia’s Defense Ministry, however, claims Ukraine’s losses are significantly higher.

The repatriation process faced delays when Ukraine reportedly declined to accept the initial batch on June 7, citing Russia’s rushed approach. However, the handovers resumed the next day and continued over the following week.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to depend on forced conscription of men aged 25 and older to replenish its military ranks and is now debating whether to extend eligibility to men over 60. The country’s mobilization efforts have been plagued by widespread draft evasion and accusations of corruption within the recruitment system.

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