Russia and Ukraine Exchange Bodies of Nearly 300 Soldiers

Russia and Ukraine exchanged the remains of 277 soldiers killed fighting in the war, the RBC outlet reported Thursday, citing a Russian lawmaker.

Russia returned 252 bodies to Ukraine and received 25 fallen Russian soldiers in return, said Shamsail Saraliyev, a State Duma lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and member of a parliamentary group dedicated to the conflict.

The exchange took place at the Novaya Guta border crossing in Belarus, according to Belarusian state media.

Ukraine did not immediately confirm the exchange. 

The repatriation came a day after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff concluded talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss renewing trilateral peace negotiations that have stalled since February.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Kyiv supported a U.S. proposal for three-way talks with Moscow and Washington. The Kremlin said Putin had agreed to resume the U.S.-mediated talks as early as next month.

Russia and Ukraine previously exchanged the bodies of fallen soldiers in September and August.

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