Under fragile truce, Ukraine receives remains of 1,200 soldiers from Russia

Ukraine has received the bodies of 1,200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia, officials overseeing prisoner exchanges announced on Saturday.

According to a statement from Ukraine’s prisoner exchange coordination committee posted on Telegram, the repatriation of the bodies was carried out as part of agreements reached between Kyiv and Moscow during talks held in Istanbul earlier this month.

Despite discussions of a potential truce in the war, Moscow’s forces in recent days have launched waves of drones and missiles at Ukraine, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged the US to “shift tone” in its dialogue with Russia as he warned that appeasing President Vladimir Putin would not help to end the war.

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“Right now, the tone of the US–Russia dialogue feels too warm,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding, “let’s be honest: that won’t stop Putin. What’s needed is a shift in tone.”

Ukraine’s air force said Friday that Russia fired 55 Shahed and decoy drones and four ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight. The air force said air defenses neutralized 43 drones. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses downed 125 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions and the annexed Crimea late Thursday and early Friday.

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With inputs from agencies