Russia hands Ukraine bodies of 1,000 soldiers

Russia gave Ukraine the bodies of 1,000 killed soldiers on July 17, 2025 as part of an agreement reached at peace talks last month, Moscow's top negotiator said on social media. [AFP]

Russia gave Ukraine the bodies of 1,000 soldiers on Thursday as part of an agreement reached at peace talks last month, officials said.

Two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to result in any progress towards a ceasefire, instead yielding large-scale prisoner exchanges and deals to return the bodies of killed soldiers.