During the exchange of bodies of the deceased, Russia handed over to Ukraine "unwanted" corpses of Russian soldiers disguised as the remains of Ukrainian fighters. At least one such case has been documented.
This was stated by Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko.
According to the minister, during the latest body exchange, the Russians deliberately transferred to Ukraine not only dead Ukrainian servicemen but also planted dead Russian soldiers. Ukraine managed to identify some of these "planted" bodies.
“Yes, we have evidence. We have identified the names of these unwanted ‘rodina’ (motherland) soldiers and officers,” said Klymenko.
In particular, the body labeled №192/25, handed over to Ukraine, was found wearing the uniform of the Russian army. Among the deceased’s belongings were found:
- A Russian passport in the name of Oleksandr Viktorovych Buhaiev, born 1974;
- A military ID of a serviceman from the 1st Battalion of the 39th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade;
- A military certificate coupon of the Russian Federation;
- An excerpt from an order of the commander of military unit 35390, No. 52, dated December 26, 2023;
- A dog tag inscribed “ВС РОССИИ МТ-146004.”
Relatives of Buhaiev have been searching for him since March 2025. Buhaiev went missing during fighting for Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region. The Russians found his body but decided to "plant" the deceased on Ukraine.
“This is yet another proof of how disrespectfully Russia treats its people by mixing their bodies with those of Ukrainian soldiers. It shows how little human life means to Russia. Or maybe it is simply a way to avoid payments to families. But they will have to pay eventually: we are returning these bodies,” Klymenko noted.
The minister also added that the behavior of the Russians clearly demonstrates their attitude even towards their own soldiers and their families.
