Kiev rejects Russia’s claim that Ukraine is postponing exchange of soldiers’ bodies

Russia (Reuters) – Russia’s claim that Ukraine is postponing the exchange of soldiers’ bodies is untrue, Ukraine officials said on Saturday.

Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Saturday that Ukraine unexpectedly delayed the exchange of prisoners of war and accepted the bodies of the killed soldiers in an uncertain time.

Russia and Ukraine held a second round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, and they agreed to exchange more prisoners – focusing on the youngest and worst-stricken prisoners – and returning the bodies of 12,000 dead soldiers.

“The Russian side’s statement today does not match reality or previous agreements regarding prisoner exchange or repatriation of corpses,” Ukraine said on the telegram messenger.

It said that agreements on repatriation of bodies have indeed been reached, but no consensus has been reached, and that “the Russian side has taken unilateral actions” that have not yet reached an agreement within the framework of the process.

Medesky said Russia also handed over to Ukraine, the first list of 640 prisoners of war, classified as “injured, severely sick and young” to begin the exchange.

Ukraine, in turn, said it had also handed over the exchange name, and that Russia’s list does not match the agreed method that would prioritize which prisoners on the exchange.

(Report from Pavel Polityukeding Tomasz Janowski)