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Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Saturday urged Russia to implement a prisoner exchange and repatriation of deceased soldiers' bodies according to an agreement reached during negotiations in Istanbul.
In a written statement, the ministry recalled that during talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul aimed at ending the war, both sides reached an agreement on exchanging prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers.
The statement said Russia had promised to begin "starting from these days" the exchange of severely ill, severely wounded and prisoners born after 2000, as well as the exchange of deceased soldiers' bodies.
"We call on the Russian side not to create artificial obstacles and false statements in order not to return Ukrainian prisoners and not to take their prisoners back to Russia," the ministry said.
The statement continued: "If the Russian side is now abandoning the promises given in Istanbul, this once again raises the question of the level and capacity of the Russian negotiating team. The agreements reached must be implemented exactly as discussed in Istanbul and during subsequent technical consultations."
Ukraine's Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War issued a separate statement on Telegram, responding to remarks by Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation during direct negotiations in Istanbul. Medinsky had called on Ukraine to comply with the agreements reached.
"The Russian side's statements today do not correspond to the facts or to previously reached agreements regarding either prisoner exchange or the return of bodies," the coordination center said.
The statement noted that officials from both sides had worked on the issue throughout the past week, with relevant lists transmitted to the Russian side.
"The Russian side presented us with lists that did not comply with the agreed approach. Ukraine conveyed relevant comments and is now awaiting the next step from the Russian side," it said.
The center called on Russia to work constructively, stating: "An agreement was indeed reached on sending back the bodies. However, no agreement was reached on the date. Instead of consistently implementing the agreed algorithm, the Russian side resorted to unilateral actions that were not agreed upon within the framework of the joint process."
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