Latest news with #Medinsky
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Russia returns 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers' bodies in prisoner exchange
MOSCOW: Russia has transferred the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine under an agreement reached during recent peace talks, Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky announced on Telegram. The exchange, conducted on Thursday, follows two rounds of unsuccessful ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul, which instead facilitated large-scale prisoner swaps and repatriation of war dead. 'Following the agreements reached in Istanbul, another 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were handed over to Ukraine today,' Medinsky stated. Ukraine reciprocated by returning the remains of 19 Russian soldiers. Photos shared by Medinsky showed personnel in white protective gear unloading white body bags from refrigerated trucks. Such exchanges have become a rare diplomatic success in the ongoing conflict, with both sides periodically swapping prisoners and repatriating fallen troops. However, broader peace efforts remain stalled. Russia has rejected ceasefire appeals, including from US President Donald Trump, and maintains hardline demands, such as Ukraine ceding territory and cutting Western military ties. Kyiv has dismissed Moscow's conditions as unacceptable ultimatums, casting doubt on future negotiations. 'If Russia is unwilling to compromise, further talks may be pointless,' a Ukrainian official remarked. - AFP
Russia Today
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev's backers don't want the conflict settled
The 'third parties' that back Kiev are not interested in ending the Ukraine conflict, but are instead using the country for their own goals, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Sky News Arabia's Nadim Koteich. On Friday, during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), moderated by Koteich, Putin stated that Moscow is not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. 'We insist on the recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground,' he added. After the session, he gave an interview to Sky News Arabia in which he reiterated that Kiev should respect the will of the people who voted to join Russia. 'I hope that the Ukrainian leadership will follow the national interests of the country and not the interests of the third parties that stand behind the regime,' Putin said. 'Ukraine deserves a better future, and not to be a tool in the hands of the third parties that are against Russia.' He added that Ukrainian neutrality and non-nuclear status are necessary for long-term stability in the region. During a Q&A session on Friday, Putin said that negotiations held in Istanbul in early 2022, shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, fell apart under pressure from 'neocolonial forces.' Earlier in June, top Russian negotiator and presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky told RT's Rick Sanchez that Ukraine had a chance to secure a deal on more favorable terms had it not withdrawn from negotiations in 2022. According to Medinsky, Kiev opted to walk away after consulting with the US and UK.
Hans India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Russia transfers bodies of over 6,000 soldiers to Ukraine
Moscow: Russia has transferred the bodies of 6,060 fallen soldiers to Ukraine, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Monday. Russia agreed to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers after Russia-Ukraine talks held in Istanbul on June 2. According to Medinsky, Russia has received the bodies of 78 Russian soldiers from the Ukrainian side, Xinhua news agency reported. "Prisoner exchanges continue. Arrangements have also been established regarding the exchange of severely wounded servicemen from the frontline," Medinsky, also Russia's chief negotiator at the talks with the Ukrainian side, wrote on Telegram. Earlier on June 13, Ukraine brought home the bodies of 1,200 fallen soldiers as part of another stage of a swap deal with Russia. The repatriation was carried out in line with agreements reached by the two parties in Turkey's Istanbul last week, said Ukraine's Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. "Law enforcement investigators, in cooperation with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct all necessary examinations and identify the repatriated bodies," the agency said. Last week, Moscow said that it was ready to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, and had been waiting for the Ukrainian side for several days at the border, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov said he hoped that the bodies of fallen Russian soldiers would also be transferred in the near future. "There is no final understanding, contact is being made, numbers are being compared," he said, noting that as soon as there is an understanding, Moscow hopes the exchange of dead bodies will take place. Earlier on June 12, Ukraine and Russia also carried out the second phase of a prisoner exchange involving seriously ill and severely wounded captives, according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said on Telegram that servicemen from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service were among those released. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said another group of Russian servicemen had returned from Ukrainian captivity and were receiving necessary medical and psychological assistance in Belarus. On June 9, Ukraine and Russia had carried out the first stage of a prisoner exchange following agreements reached in Istanbul.
Reuters
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine says repatriation of war dead over after 1,245 more bodies received from Russia
KYIV, June 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine received another 1,245 bodies of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia on Monday in the final stage of the repatriation of remains agreed at talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian officials said. "Today marks the final stage of the repatriation of fallen soldiers," Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said. "Since last week, when the implementation of the Istanbul agreements began, we have managed to bring back over 6,000 bodies." This marks one of the largest returns of war dead since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. The handover of the soldiers' remains is part of the agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine during their second round of talks in Istanbul at the start of the month. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation at the peace talks, said that Moscow had handed back the bodies of 6,060 Ukrainian servicemen. He said that Russia has received the remains of 78 of its own soldiers in return. Ukrainian officials said that they had received 6,057 bodies. They was no immediate explanation available on the discrepancy in numbers. The Russian Defence ministry said that Moscow was ready to hand over another 2,239 bodies to Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Russia said that the process of exchanging prisoners of war was still ongoing. "We are not stopping. Ahead lies the next stage: we continue the fight to bring back our prisoners of war," Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov said in a social media post on Facebook. The agreements on exchanging POWs were the only concrete result during the talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul. Both sides remain far apart in their vision on how to end the war, and they also failed to agree on a ceasefire.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Russia says it has handed over 6,060 Ukrainian soldiers' bodies, ready to return more
Russia has handed back the bodies of 6,060 Ukrainian servicemen under agreements reached at Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul earlier this month, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Monday. Moscow is ready to hand over another 2,239 bodies, the Russian defense ministry said. Russia has so far received the remains of 78 of its own soldiers in return, Medinsky and the ministry said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Never Put Eggs In The Refrigerator. Here's Why... Novelodge Undo The process of exchanging prisoners of war is still ongoing, Medinsky said.
