Russia and Ukraine exchange remains of soldiers killed in the war

Russia handed over the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev, a Russian official said Thursday, while Ukraine returned the bodies of 35 Russians.

Exchanges of the remains of soldiers killed in the war regularly take place between the two countries, in a file that is considered one of the limited areas of cooperation between the two parties.

Moscow’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said on social media: “The bodies of a thousand Ukrainian soldiers were delivered to Ukraine. Russia received the bodies of 35 Russian fighters.”

He posted a photo showing people wearing white suits and blue gloves lifting a white body bag from the back of a refrigerated truck.

Negotiators from the two countries came to Geneva on Thursday to hold separate talks with American officials, which is part of a difficult negotiating process that US President Donald Trump is pressing to move forward to put an end to the fighting.