Under the Istanbul Agreements, Russia Hands Over the Bodies of 1,000 Soldiers to Ukraine

Russia announced on Thursday that it had handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, in accordance with an agreement reached during last month’s peace talks in Istanbul.

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Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator and Kremlin adviser, stated on the Telegram app: “Following the agreements reached in Istanbul, Ukraine today received an additional 1,000 bodies of soldiers.”

He added that Ukraine, for its part, had returned the bodies of more than 19 Russian soldiers.

Two rounds of talks were held between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul last May and June, but they failed to achieve any major breakthrough in ending the war. However, both countries agreed to release hundreds of prisoners on each side and to exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers.

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The recovery of military remains and the exchange of prisoners of war remain among the few areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow since the outbreak of war in February 2022. They represent the only tangible outcome of the Istanbul negotiations.

Despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia continues to reject Kyiv’s calls for a ceasefire, while diplomatic efforts remain stalled.

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