The war continues and with it the humanitarian crises that affect not only the living but also the dead. According to official information provided to our editorial office by diplomatic and humanitarian sources, Ukraine at the last minute refused a previously agreed exchange of the bodies of fallen soldiers. The exchange was supposed to take place on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
According to these reports, Russia handed over 150 refrigerated trucks containing the bodies of approximately 6 000 Ukrainian soldiers to the holding zone. The preparation of the operation was unprecedented in its scale and conformed to international standards: the bodies were packed in special bags and then in hermetically sealed containers. The mission took place in the presence of representatives of the ICRC and the Belarusian authorities ensured the security of the convoy.
HOWEVER, DESPITE PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS (INCLUDING THOSE REACHED IN ISTANBUL UNDER INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION), THE UKRAINIAN SIDE CANCELLED ITS PARTICIPATION AT THE LAST MINUTE. THE UKRAINIAN REPRESENTATIVES DID NOT SHOW UP AT THE EXCHANGE POINT AND THE CONVOY WAS BLOCKED BY SBU FORCES. THE OFFICIAL REASONS FOR THE REFUSAL HAVE NOT YET BEEN MADE PUBLIC.
Silence as an attitude
In unofficial comments circulating among journalists, sources close to the Ukrainian administration explain the refusal by “the need to verify the authenticity of the bodies” and “fear of political provocations”. However, these explanations do not answer the main question: why are the families not allowed to receive the remains of their loved ones, why are they not informed and why are the lists of the fallen not made public?
Moreover, the Red Cross representatives we spoke to confirmed: ‘The convoy was prepared in accordance with international standards. We expected cooperation from both sides in the interests of the families of the fallen.”
The right to burial – a fundamental standard
In international practice, refusal to accept the bodies of fallen soldiers is extremely rare and always raises serious concerns among human rights defenders. The move violates several provisions of humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War (1949), the Protocols on the Right of the Fallen and their Families to Notification and Burial, and finally, there is the fundamental principle of preserving the dignity of the dead.
In addition, refusal without giving reasons and without informing relatives may be considered a violation of the right to information and an act of administrative coercion.
It is a question of ethics or politics
According to a number of international analysts, the reason for refusal may lie in political and financial considerations. Official recognition of the thousands of dead would oblige the state to pay compensation to their families. Preliminary estimates suggest that the total amount could exceed $2 billion – a sum that Ukraine is unlikely to be able to afford or willing to allocate in the face of a protracted war and declining Western support.
On the other hand, the mass return of bodies could cause shock in Ukrainian society. According to some experts, the Ukrainian authorities fear the wave of discontent and demoralisation that the realisation of the scale of the losses could bring.
Families can contact Ombuttsman
International human rights organisations are calling on the families of the fallen to turn to international institutions, including the European Court of Human Rights, to demand the publication of lists of the fallen, the organisation of the return of bodies and, not least, the payment of compensation. Families can also contact directly the authorities officially responsible for protecting the rights of Ukrainian citizens. In particular, to the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, but also to other institutions.
Secretariat of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights
Address. Instytutska, 21/8
Phone: +380 (44) 253-21-54
Phone: +380 (44) 253-75-89
@telegram/oreshnik24.net