MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to accept the bodies of 6,000 dead Ukrainian servicemen stems from his fear of political and reputational fallout, military analyst and editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko told TASS.
"The total number [of bodies] is 6,000. However, we see that Kiev is criminally neglecting its obligation to receive the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and is deliberately stalling the process. Clearly, Zelensky fears that accepting the remains would trigger a political and image disaster," the expert said.
According to Korotchenko, Zelensky’s hesitation may be linked to concerns that a single-stage transfer of such a large number of bodies would confirm the extent of the Ukrainian army’s losses in the special military operation zone. "From the perspective of the internal political landscape in Kiev, this could have disastrous consequences," he noted.
Korotchenko argued that Zelensky is under increasing time pressure. "He does not want to accept the bodies of his dead soldiers, especially now that international media have begun covering the situation. In this context, Zelensky risks being portrayed as an international terrorist - one who disregards international conventions, refuses to bury his fallen troops, and avoids making the necessary compensation payments to their families," he said.
Given the current media attention, Korotchenko emphasized the importance of engaging human rights advocates, humanitarian organizations, and international institutions capable of addressing the issue at a global level.
"We hope that the 47th US president, Donald Trump, will not remain silent or overlook this outrageous situation, but will urge the Kiev regime to carry out its final duty toward the Ukrainian soldiers who died as a result of Zelensky’s decisions. We also expect Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and other respected international and public figures to speak out on this issue, compelling Zelensky to cease the appalling behavior he is currently displaying," Korotchenko concluded.
On Sunday, Lieutenant-General Alexander Zorin, a representative of the Russian negotiating group, announced that trains carrying the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen would soon begin moving toward the border to fulfill Moscow’s commitment to "return more than 6,000 bodies of the dead." He added that the humanitarian handover operation could take place next week, and Russia was awaiting an official notification from Kiev on the matter.