According to the statement by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, Russia is trying to dictate its own terms in the exchange of military prisoners and bodies of the deceased.
Despite Moscow’s “information pressure,” Budanov says, Kyiv is still committed to the agreements reached in Istanbul. “The repatriation process should begin next week. The responsible parties have already been notified about this last Tuesday,” Budanov highlighted.
However, the Russian side has a different stance. Negotiators led by Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin are accusing Kyiv of not officially announcing the delay in the exchange of bodies.
At the same time, Russian state media have distributed photos of refrigerator trucks, purportedly from the Bryansk region, containing — it is claimed — the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.
