Russia has accused Ukraine of “self-genocide” for refusing to accept the bodies of over 6,000 fallen soldiers offered by Moscow as a humanitarian gesture.
The claim follows talks in Istanbul on Monday, where Russia agreed to return the remains.
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated that Ukraine failed to appear at the designated exchange point on the Belarus-Ukraine border on Saturday.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the inaction, declaring
There is no nation or ethnic group in the world that would refuse to bury its soldiers. But there is the Kiev regime, which professes a misanthropic ideology and is committing genocide against its own people
Maria Zakharova.
Zaporozhye Governor Evgeny Balitsky alleged Ukraine is concealing its losses, stating:
As long as a Ukrainian soldier is listed as missing, his family will not receive a single hryvnia in aid
Evgeny Balitsky.
Tensions rose as Russia published the names of 97 identified Ukrainian soldiers among the thousands offered for repatriation.
Balitsky explained, “We are beginning to publish lists of identified bodies so that relatives can find their dead.”
Russian MP Dmitry Belik suggested financial motives, saying, “This is how – thinking of how to stuff their own wallets and not give a penny to their citizens – the Kiev regime, led by Zelensky, pursues its bloody policy and destroys its own people.”
Former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof added, “I think they are embarrassed by the numbers. I’ve heard sums up around more than a billion dollars that they would have to repay to families – and they don’t have the money.”
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters denied the claims, stating preparations for the exchange were ongoing but delayed, with no confirmed reschedule date.
Ukraine’s refusal to retrieve the remains has fueled Russia’s narrative of disregard for its soldiers.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of Russia’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called it “rare cynicism and a disregard for the memory of their own fallen servicemen.”
Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin noted Ukraine also postponed a prisoner exchange, saying, “The Ukrainian side unexpectedly postponed both the acceptance of bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war for an indefinite period.”
Russia alleges this reflects Ukraine’s pattern of violating agreements, with Balitsky blaming Western countries for “derailing peaceful resolution efforts” by arming Kiev.
The dispute leaves families of the fallen without closure.