Russian mercenaries snub Ukraine’s plea to hand over soldier’s body

Serhiy Harmash, Ukraine’s delegate to the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas settlement, says Russian-led forces have turned down Kyiv’s request to hand the remains of a Ukrainian soldier killed in hostilities.

That’s according to Harmash’s Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.

“The ‘other party’ to the TCG asked us to return the remains, claiming his mother has the last stage of cancer and wants to bury her son before she dies. To us, a mother’s pain is the same no matter the side. So we vowed to work this out, in turn requesting that they return the body of another son, of another mother, who lives on ‘our side,’” Harmash said.

However, the delegate added, a few days later the mercenaries refused to do so. Despite this, the Ukrainian side handed the remains as promised.

"There was a choice: to do as they did and suspend the handover of the remains or to let the mother bury her son and pass in peace. So we handed the body over. We must not and will not be like these inhuman beings who hold hostage in the occupied territory not only those alive but also the dead ones..." Harmash wrote.

The official did not reveal the name of the killed soldier in question.

As Ukrinform reported, on September 23, the Ukrainian side to the Trilateral Contact Group handed over the remains of Anatoliy Myalkin, who died near Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in June 2014.

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