Russia said it has handed over the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine in an exchange that saw Moscow receive the bodies of 35 Russian soldiers, according to Vladimir Medinsky, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has not publicly confirmed the transfer.
The announcement came ahead of new talks in Geneva, where Ukraine’s chief negotiator is set to meet U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as part of efforts to advance negotiations aimed at ending the war. Previous rounds involving Russian negotiators did not produce a breakthrough.
Hours before the planned talks, Ukraine said Russia launched a large overnight attack using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles across multiple regions, injuring civilians. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes targeted several areas of the country.
The body exchange follows an agreement reached in Istanbul in June 2025 for both sides to return the remains of fallen soldiers, as well as severely wounded and younger prisoners of war.
Moscow and Kyiv have carried out multiple exchanges during the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, though both sides rarely disclose their own losses in detail.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia in the past of irregular returns, while Moscow has denied the claims.
