Russia Tried to Disguise Its Own Dead Soldiers as Ukrainians in Body Swap Scheme

Russia tried to include the bodies of its own soldiers among those of fallen Ukrainian servicemembers during a planned exchange, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking at a press briefing, the President said Ukrainian officials discovered the discrepancy in Russian documentation, which indicated that only 15–20% of the deceased had been properly identified.

“That is why we agreed to prepare everything properly to ensure clear identification, because we do not joke with our servicemen and our fallen. It is very important that we receive the bodies of Ukrainians, not Russians they want to get rid of, because we’ve already had such a case,” Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasized that the process of preparing for the exchange of bodies will begin only after the ongoing prisoner exchange is completed. He explained that this sequence is necessary due to logistical factors:
“This is not for publicity. This is about important matters — bringing our people back.”

As of March 2025, Ukraine had recovered the remains of more than 7,000 fallen defenders since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Several additional exchanges have taken place since then.

During talks in Istanbul on June 2, Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed a potential “all for all” prisoner exchange, alongside the return of fallen soldiers and deported children. President Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had proposed a “thousand for a thousand” swap, with additional groups possibly included.

Earlier, on May 16, Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 909 fallen soldiers, including those recovered from Russian morgues and frontlines in Kurakhove, Bakhmut, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and other regions, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

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