Ukraine receives bodies of 1,000 soldiers from Russia

Ukraine says it has received the bodies of 1,000 soldiers from Russia in the latest exchange of those killed in the war as the nearly four-year-old conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on both sides.

Russia and Ukraine confirmed the exchange on Thursday, describing it as part of ongoing agreements reached earlier in the war to allow families to bury those killed on the battlefield.

Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said that “within the framework of the Istanbul agreements, the bodies of 1,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers have been transferred to Ukraine”, adding that “bodies of 38 dead Russian soldiers have been transferred to Russia”.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the handover, saying in a statement that “repatriation events took place today, as part of which one thousand bodies were returned to Ukraine”.

Deep freeze follows Russian strikes on energy infrastructure

The exchange comes as the war, launched by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, shows little sign of abating, even as winter deepens and conditions worsen for civilians.

Ukraine’s state weather agency warned on Thursday that temperatures could plunge to as low as -30C (-22F) in the coming days, compounding the impact of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre said the coldest nights are expected between February 1 and 3, raising concerns about heating and electricity supplies already strained by repeated missile and drone strikes.