Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of dead soldiers. The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported the return of the bodies of one hundred dead.
Russia took the bodies of 69 dead soldiers, State Duma deputy from Chechnya Shamsail Saraliev clarified to RBC.
The last time the bodies of dead servicemen were exchanged was on February 16. Ukraine then returned the bodies of 58 dead, and Russia returned 61 dead.
Il-76 military plane crashed near Belgorod
On January 24, it was planned to exchange captured military personnel according to the “192 to 192” scheme. It was disrupted due to the fact that a Russian Il-76 transport plane crashed near Belgorod that day. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the ship was shot down by the Ukrainian side, and that 65 Ukrainian prisoners were being carried on board for exchange.
The Ukrainian side did not directly comment on the accusations. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was also unable to confirm that there were prisoners of war on board, citing a lack of evidence and Russia’s refusal to hand over the bodies of the dead.