Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, but Moscow received no war dead, Russia says
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People in hazmat suits carry what is said to be remains of Ukrainian soldiers received from Russia in an unknown location on June 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners-of-war (POWs) on June 14, the Russian defence ministry said, and Russia handed over the bodies of 1,200 dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.
The exchanges are part of agreements reached by the warring sides during talks in Istanbul earlier in June. Ukraine earlier on June 14 confirmed it had received the bodies of its soldiers killed in action.
However, Russian state media reported, citing sources, that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv, echoing a statement Russia made on June 13, when it said it had returned the bodies of 1,200 slain Ukrainian soldiers and received none of its own.
The Russian defence ministry did not say how many POWs were involved in the swop with Ukraine on June 14, but it posted video showing its soldiers holding Russian flags and cheering before boarding a bus.
The Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are receiving medical treatment before transfer back to Russia, the defence ministry said. REUTERS
