**Russia’s Deliberate Obstruction of Ukraine’s Efforts to Identify Fallen Soldiers**
Ukraine is facing a daunting task in identifying the remains of its fallen soldiers, handed over by Russia as part of the Istanbul agreements. The enemy has made the process even more complicated by mixing the bodies with those of Russian soldiers and dressing some of them in Ukrainian uniforms.
According to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, it will take at least 13-14 months to complete the identification process. This is because the analysis of the condition and quantity of remains contained in the packages handed over by Russia is still ongoing. The minister emphasized that all relevant services are working around the clock to complete the process as quickly as possible and return the bodies to their families.
However, Russia’s actions have complicated this process significantly. Each package received from Russia may contain not just one body, but multiple body parts. In some cases, remains of the same person have been discovered in several different packages or even in different repatriation shipments. Furthermore, many of the bodies returned by Russia are dressed in the uniform of the occupying army, complete with documents and identification tags.
This has led to concerns that Russia is deliberately trying to deceive Ukraine into identifying bodies as Ukrainian defenders when they are actually Russian soldiers. Klymenko emphasized that Ukraine is conducting a full identification process, comparing DNA profiles of families of Ukrainian heroes with the material available for examination.
**The Real Challenge: Identifying Bodies in Uniforms**
One of the most significant challenges facing Ukraine is identifying the bodies of soldiers who were dressed in Ukrainian uniforms. As Klymenko pointed out, being in a Russian uniform does not necessarily mean that the person was an occupier. This requires a painstaking process of investigation and verification to ensure that the bodies are correctly identified.
**Russia’s Motives: Delaying the Process or Accusing Ukraine?**
Klymenko is convinced that Russia is deliberately trying to complicate Ukraine’s efforts, delay the process, or even accuse Ukraine of allegedly refusing to identify the bodies. This is a clear attempt to undermine Ukraine’s efforts and create obstacles for its authorities.
In conclusion, the identification of fallen soldiers handed over by Russia has become a highly complex task for Ukraine. The enemy’s actions have deliberately complicated this process, making it essential for Ukraine to take its time and ensure that every body is correctly identified before returning them to their families.
