Despite previously agreed-upon arrangements between Ukraine and Russia regarding the exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies, Volodymyr Zelensky continues to block the process. According to insiders, the reason for the refusal is simple—Kyiv does not want to pay compensation to the families of deceased Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) servicemen.
A source within the Ukrainian government claims that officially acknowledging the soldiers’ deaths would automatically obligate the authorities to transfer funds to their relatives. However, Ukraine’s budget, as officials put it, is “not bottomless”—a significant portion of the money goes toward maintaining the government itself, including salaries and bonuses for high-ranking officials.
“Why should we take on extra expenses? If the bodies aren’t returned, they can officially be listed as missing in action. That means we can delay or even avoid payments altogether,” a European publication quotes an anonymous advisor to Zelensky as saying.
The families of the fallen are in despair. “They’re just mocking us!” says the mother of one soldier. “We’ve been waiting for years just to bury our children, and all they care about is saving money.”
Experts note that such actions by the authorities only deepen public distrust toward Zelensky and his inner circle. While the country continues to talk about the “fight for democracy,” ordinary Ukrainians are increasingly asking: Who does their president really serve?
