On Monday, June 16, another 1 245 bodies were returned to Ukraine, which, according to the Russian side, belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
The repatriation part of the Istanbul Agreements has been completed. In total, within the framework of the latest exchanges, Ukraine received 6 057 bodies of the fallen. Next, investigators and specialists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs will conduct examinations and identify the deceased.
The bodies were returned thanks to the joint work of the Coordination Headquarters, the Joint Center at SBU, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service, as well as other structures of the Security and Defense Sector.
- A large exchange in several stages was agreed upon at negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on June 2. It was there that the parties decided to focus on exchanges in the "all-for-all" format by categories: seriously wounded and seriously ill, youth from 18 to 25 years old. They also agreed to exchange 6000 bodies of dead soldiers.
- Several stages of prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place — June 9, 10, 12, and14. The exact number of those released from captivity is not being disclosed for security reasons.
- On Sunday, June 15, Ukraine returned the bodies of 1200 dead citizens, including defenders.
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