Russia returned 20 bodies of its own fallen soldiers, 1 foreign mercenary, claims Ukraine's Zelenskyy

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday claimed that 20 of the bodies that arrived from Russia during a return of fallen soldiers were Russian troops, while one was a foreign mercenary.

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy claimed that Russia "lied" about returning only dead Ukrainian servicemen, as some of the transferred bodies turned out to be Russian."

“This lie is documented; some of the bodies even had Russian passports,” he alleged.

He did not specify the location or timing of the exchange but said the discovery was made during "routine identification procedures."

He also announced the launch of the “Build with Ukraine” initiative, aimed at boosting Kyiv’s global defense cooperation.

Zelenskyy said agreements would be signed this summer to export Ukrainian defense technologies and open joint production lines in partner countries.

“These weapons will be made for both them and us. We’re talking drones, missiles, and potentially artillery,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader also highlighted the scale of military investment, saying: “This year alone, $43 billion has been allocated to support Ukraine’s defense industry.”

Calling for broader international commitment, he urged every allied nation to contribute 0.25% of their GDP to Ukraine’s defense next year, framing it as a matter of European security.

“Supporting Ukraine’s defense means supporting Europe’s security,” he said.

On June 19, Russia and Ukraine finished the exchange of the bodies of fallen servicemen agreed on June 2 in Istanbul, Kyiv received 6057 bodies, Moscow - 78.