Statements from both Ukraine and Russia agreed that Ukraine had accepted the last of the 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers. Moscow had arranged the deliveries in five groupings of approximately 1,200 apiece. Vladimir Medinsky, the leader of the Russian delegation at Istanbul, announced the actual total 6,060 bodies, and that Ukraine had managed to return another 51 bodies of deceased Russian soldiers, making a total of 78.
Russia’s Defense Ministry added that they hold some 2,000 more Ukrainian bodies, which they are ready to turn over. They stated: “At this stage, we are ready to hand over another 2,239 bodies of the deceased servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the Ukrainian side.”
