**Ukraine Prepares to Repatriate Bodies of Fallen Soldiers**
In a significant development, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, has announced that the exchange of bodies of deceased soldiers with Russia is scheduled for next week. This comes after negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, where both sides agreed on various humanitarian measures.
According to Budanov, the repatriation efforts are underway, and authorized persons were informed about the schedule on Tuesday, June 3. This news follows a statement from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) that preparations for the exchange of bodies were in progress, although no specific date had been confirmed.
**Russia Claims Prisoner Swap Failed Due to Ukraine**
However, Russia has claimed that a prisoner swap had failed due to Ukraine’s fault, an accusation that Kyiv has denied. The Russian media recently published a video showing refrigerators allegedly containing the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, claiming they had been delivered for exchange. But Andrii Yusov, deputy head of POW Coordination Headquarters, told Ukrainian Pravda that the footage was filmed inside Russia and not at a designated exchange site.
**Cynicism from Russian Propagandists**
Budanov has condemned Russian propaganda efforts surrounding the matter, calling them “cynical” given the great feast of Pentecost being celebrated on June 7. He noted that these attempts to capitalize on human suffering sound particularly cynical, especially when Russia is responsible for the same.
**Ukraine Stands Firm**
Despite mounting Russian information pressure and attempts to impose unilateral conditions, Ukraine continues to honor the terms agreed during the Istanbul talks. The agreements include a new round of prisoner exchanges involving severely wounded personnel and individuals aged 18 to 25, as well as Russia’s pledge to hand over 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers and officers.
**Humanitarian Measures in Focus**
The June 2 negotiations marked the second direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. While no ceasefire or political settlement was reached, both rounds led to agreements on humanitarian measures. Ukraine has repeatedly urged Moscow to adopt an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange formula. The largest prisoner swap of the full-scale war took place from May 23 to 25, with 1,000 captives exchanged each.
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