ST. PETERSBURG, June 19. /TASS/. The exchange of severely ill and wounded servicemen, as well as young soldiers under the age of 25, between Russia and Ukraine is ongoing, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"Russia has almost completed the implementation of the humanitarian package of agreements reached during the second round of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2. As you know, we organized the repatriation of more than 6,000 bodies as a goodwill gesture — 6,060 bodies of deceased Ukrainian servicemen. On our side, we received 78 bodies of our fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed its readiness to hand over another 2,239 bodies to the Ukrainian side," Zakharova said at a briefing held on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"The parity exchange of the severely ill and wounded, as well as young soldiers under the age of 25, is proceeding. I will remind you, all these are Russia's initiatives. The process is unfolding in several stages, and at least 1,000 people are expected to return home from each side," she added.
"We have also started substantive work on the list of 339 Ukrainian children. Let me remind you – not stolen, not kidnapped, not forcibly displaced or taken away, whatever they [in Kiev] come up with – but those who cannot be reunited with their parents, who are being searched for, and about whom there is no information," she said.
