Zelensky announced that Moscow has transferred the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and confirmed that some of the bodies contained Russian passports
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky recently made an important statement regarding the exchange of bodies between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, Moscow handed over 20 bodies to Kyiv, which, although officially labeled as Ukrainian military casualties, in fact, not all of them are Ukrainians. Among these bodies, there are some that contained Russian passports, which has caused significant resonance and suspicion regarding the veracity of Russian reports. During a recent press conference with journalists, Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian side received the bodies of 20 people as part of the exchange. While the Russian side is firmly insistent that all of them are Ukrainian military personnel and soldiers, these assurances cannot be considered truthful. "They handed us bodies, some with Russian-style passports, and they themselves cannot precisely identify who they are sending. This is a truth we have already recorded. We aim to return all our heroes and defenders, but we will definitely not take back Russian bodies just for the sake of numbers," emphasized the head of state. Zelensky added that the situation in the temporarily occupied Sumy region is unlikely to give grounds for optimism for Russian troops. According to him, the occupation of the region significantly complicates the situation for the aggressor. "The situation in Sumy region is a big problem for the 'Russians.' They try to present the front-line situation as their success, using this region for PR, but the real state of affairs indicates otherwise. If they had real progress, they wouldn't be making this fake success, and U.S. President Donald Trump would start applying pressure through sanctions to stop their aggression," Zelensky underscored. According to Ukrainian intelligence and military experts, over the past week, Ukrainian defenders have resisted Russian forces trying to advance toward Sumy. Reports indicate that an active offensive has intensified in this direction, but Ukrainian troops managed to repel enemy attempts at breakthroughs and hold their positions. It is noted that during this period, Ukrainian forces advanced back by 200 meters in the Sumy area, while Russian troops also moved approximately the same distance. Overall, shelling and strike activities have predominated across the entire front, with over 23% of all bombing and missile strikes occurring in this sector. Particular attention is drawn to North Korean rockets, which are registered in large quantities and used to conduct strikes on Ukrainian territory. In the Dnipro region, Ukrainian units continue to hold the defense, although Russians are attempting to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage groups in the region. According to the latest data, there are several groups operating around the clock in the region, numbering from two to four people, trying to break through Ukrainian defenses, but so far, Ukrainians are fighting back and preventing breakthroughs. Overall, the situation in the east and north of Ukraine remains tense and challenging for the enemy. Ukrainian defenders continue to hold the front, repel attacks, and destroy Russian equipment and personnel, while the military and diplomatic situation continues to develop in a direction supportive of Ukrainian defense and diplomacy.