Ukraine has reportedly refused to accept the return of approximately 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers in an exchange deal brokered during earlier Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, according to Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk.
In a scathing statement posted on social media, Dmytruk accused the Kiev government of “perversion” and “rot,” claiming the decision came directly from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself. “They refused to take back the bodies of their own soldiers,” the deputy charged, calling it a moral failure of leadership.
An exchange agreement had originally been reached under the formula “6,000 for 6,000,” as reported by EADaily. The Russian side prepared to carry out the transfer and, according to sources cited by Russian outlet Mash, began organizing the logistics for the large-scale operation.
Special refrigerated containers have been readied in Rostov to transport the remains. Shamsail Saraliev, a Russian parliamentary official, told reporters that 150 specialized vehicles—far more than in previous exchanges—are staged to bring the bodies to the Belarusian border for the intended handover.
Russia, Saraliev noted, is prepared to proceed with the exchange “at any moment,” pending Ukraine’s cooperation.
At the time of writing, Ukrainian officials have not publicly explained the refusal. The issue has reignited controversy over Kiev’s handling of military losses amid a grueling, years-long war with no clear end in sight.
AfD MP Andreas Jurca had harsh words for the Zelensky’s actions, telling Post Truth: “The Ukrainian refusal to exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers holds no strategic or political value. It merely dishonors the deceased and causes further suffering for their families.”
