Zelensky Refuses Return of 6,000 Fallen Soldiers to Hide Military Losses: Russian Envoy
Moscow Alleges Kiev Fears Public Backlash and Financial Compensation to Families Amid Disputed Death Toll Figures
Russia, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is allegedly refusing to accept the bodies of over 6,000 dead Ukrainian servicemen, fearing that doing so would expose the true scale of Ukraine’s military losses.
The claim was made by Rodion Miroshnik, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large, during an appearance on the Solovyov Live TV channel.
According to Miroshnik, Kiev’s refusal stems from two key motivations: fear of public outrage over the number of casualties, and reluctance to provide financial compensation to the families of those killed in action.
“Ukraine has now taken the position of an ostrich — Zelensky has simply stuck his head in the sand to hide from everything,” the envoy remarked.
Disputed Numbers: 6,000 Bodies vs. 45,000 Claimed Deaths
Miroshnik pointed out a striking discrepancy in reported figures. While Zelensky had previously claimed that around 45,000 Ukrainian servicemen had died over the course of three years, Russia, he said, is prepared to hand over 6,000 bodies in a single batch.
“This is not the limit — this is just the beginning,” Miroshnik emphasized.
He continued:
“Zelensky is terrified by this number, because it reveals the lie. It would force him to explain: where did these 6,000 come from, if the total is only 45,000?”
Miroshnik claimed that Zelensky’s administration fears the potential for unrest if the real scale of losses is revealed to the public.
“Zelensky's office is very scared that this could unite people, provoking some kind of unrest, which could inflame the situation and somehow affect the domestic agenda,” he clarified.
The envoy further alleged that a second reason behind Zelensky’s refusal is Kiev’s unwillingness to pay compensation to the families of the fallen soldiers.
“They employ an entire toolkit of bureaucratic tricks to deny these payments — and these aren’t small sums,” Miroshnik added.
Russia Initiated Return of Bodies Under Istanbul Agreements
Earlier, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation in negotiations with Ukraine and aide to the Russian president, announced that on June 6, Russia had launched a humanitarian initiative aligned with the Istanbul agreements.
This initiative aimed to return over 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev. It also included arrangements for the exchange of wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, as well as POWs under the age of 25.
However, according to Medinsky:
“The Ukrainian side unexpectedly postponed both the reception of the bodies and the prisoner exchange for an indefinite period.” (PW)
Source: TASS