Exchange of fallen soldiers' bodies expected next week, official says

The exchange of the bodies of deceased soldiers, agreed upon during Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, is scheduled for next week, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief (HUR), said on June 8.

"The start of repatriation measures following the negotiations in Istanbul is scheduled for next week, as authorized persons were informed on Tuesday (June 3)," Budanov posted on Telegram.

Budanov's statement comes just a day after Russia claimed that a prisoner swap had failed due to Ukraine's fault — an accusation Kyiv denied.

Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) said on June 7 that preparations for the exchange of bodies were underway, although no specific date had been confirmed.

Budanov condemned Russian propaganda efforts surrounding the matter.

"The attempts of some Russian propagandists to capitalize on human suffering, which they themselves are responsible for, sound particularly cynical," he said. "Especially on the great feast of Pentecost, which we are celebrating today."

On June 7, Russian media published a video showing refrigerators allegedly containing the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, claiming they had been delivered for exchange.

POW Coordination Headquarters deputy head Andrii Yusov told Ukrainian Pravda that the footage had been filmed inside Russia and not at a designated exchange site.

According to Budanov, Ukraine continues to honor the terms agreed during the June 2 Istanbul talks despite mounting Russian information pressure and attempts to impose unilateral conditions.

At the Istanbul meeting, both sides agreed to a new round of prisoner exchanges involving severely wounded personnel and individuals aged 18 to 25.

Russia also pledged to hand over 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers and officers. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 4 that the repatriation would follow the next POW swap.

The June 2 negotiations marked the second direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, after an earlier session on May 16. While no ceasefire or political settlement was reached, both rounds led to agreements on humanitarian measures.

Ukraine and Russia carried out the largest prisoner swap of the full-scale war from May 23 to 25, exchanging 1,000 captives each.

Ukraine has repeatedly urged Moscow to adopt an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange formula. While over 5,000 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity since March 2022, Russia continues to resist a comprehensive swap.