**Ukraine and Russia Complete Body Exchange, Verifying Fallen Soldiers**
In a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both countries have completed an exchange of dead bodies. This marks the final stage of a deal to bring home fallen soldiers. According to Kyiv, Moscow handed over 1,245 bodies on Monday, bringing the total to 6,057 in the past few days. Ukraine’s government agency co-ordinating the repatriation confirmed that “another 1,245 bodies were returned to Ukraine.”
**Discrepancy in Body Count**
However, there is a discrepancy in the body count provided by both countries. Russia put the overall number of bodies transferred to Ukraine at 6,060, while Ukraine said it was verifying whether all the bodies were indeed of Ukrainian soldiers. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and this latest exchange took place at an undisclosed location on Monday.
**Identification Process Complicated**
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko accused Russia of “deliberately complicating” the identification process. He claimed that bodies were returned in an extremely mutilated state, with parts of some bodies in different bags. This adds to the already low trust between the two sides.
**Red Cross Monitors Process**
Red Cross members monitored the process, but declined to say how many bodies had been handed over by each side. ICRC spokesman Pat Griffiths said it was up to the parties involved to determine the details of the body exchange.
**Russian Defense Ministry Statement**
The Russian defense ministry stated that 1,248 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers had been handed over to Kyiv on Monday, taking their total to 2,317. They also claimed they received the bodies of 51 killed Russian soldiers, bringing their total to 78. The ministry added it was ready to hand over another 2,239 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.
**Analyzing the Situation**
The overall disparity between the two sides may be due to the fact that Russia has been making territorial gains, allowing them to recover many of their own soldiers killed in fighting. Trust between the two sides is extremely low, even when it comes to the dead. This body exchange marks a significant step towards repatriating the fallen soldiers and exchanging prisoners of war, agreed upon at peace talks earlier this month.
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