Ukraine announced that it has received the bodies of 1,000 soldiers from Russia in a recent exchange between the warring nations. Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed that in return, Russia received the bodies of 38 soldiers.
Medinsky also shared a photo on Telegram featuring the exchange, which depicted individuals in biohazard suits next to white refrigerated trucks designated for the transportation of bodies.
This soldier swap is part of ongoing exchanges, with both sides having returned thousands of soldiers' bodies during the nearly four-year conflict. The recent exchange occurred under an agreement made during negotiations in Istanbul in 2025.
Under the terms of that agreement, Moscow and Kyiv committed to returning a total of 12,000 soldiers, along with sick and heavily wounded prisoners of war.
Notably, the last exchange took place in November last year, when Russia returned 1,000 bodies to Ukraine and received 30 in exchange. However, there has been no significant exchange of prisoners of war since October 2025, with both parties accusing each other of stalling progress.
The fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 is approaching, prompting continuous efforts to negotiate a peace deal. Recently, negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the US met in the UAE for what were described as constructive talks, although key territorial disputes remain unresolved.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, tensions persist, with both sides continuing to launch drone attacks, resulting in tragic incidents such as the recent strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv region that killed at least five people.
