The Russian-Ukraine conflict has developed for more than three years. These two countries are incompatible with each other, especially on June 1, when Ukraine attacked four aerospace military bases in Russia. Putin wished he could destroy Ukraine and Zelensky.
But immediately after June 2, at the second round of negotiation table between Russia and Ukraine, Russia suddenly became very kind, saying that it was willing to hand over the bodies of about 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in custody to Ukraine. This was a good thing for Ukraine, but what was hard to understand was that it was clearly rejected by Ukraine. Ukraine not only refused to appreciate it, but also refused to admit it. So what was going on?
It should be said that Russia is impeccable in this regard. Russia not only properly preserved the bodies of these soldiers, but also conducted DNA tests to ensure identity confirmation. It can be said that this practice was not available in previous belligerent countries and was rare in international practice. Usually, it would be good if both sides of the warring parties could basically preserve the remains of the dead soldiers. But Russia's "doing its best" has made Ukraine at a loss.
The reason why the Ukrainian government refused to accept these bodies was mainly because it could not afford a pension. According to regulations, only soldiers identified as "dead" can receive pensions. These 6,000 bodies were only listed as "missed" in the Ukrainian military records. Once these bodies are received and their identity is confirmed, it means that the Ukrainian government will pay a huge pension. Calculated based on the standard of 15 million hryvn per person, a one-time pension of 90 billion hryvnia is about 90 billion hryvnia pension, which is approximately --tt-darkmode-color: #A3A3A3;">2.1 billion US dollars. Ukraine is now poor and deserted. Where can I afford this money?
Another thing, these 6,000 bodies are likely to be just the beginning. According to Ukraine's speculation, Russia holds much more than this number of Ukrainian bodies. If you receive 6,000 units this time, you may have to face 10,000 units, 20,000 units, or even tens of thousands of units next time. If you don’t do it well, you will have to pay one or two million US dollars for the pension alone, which will cost Zelensky’s life.
The Zelensky government refused to accept these bodies. If accepted, it might be interpreted as a compromise with Russia; if not accepted, it would be accused of disrespecting the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. With the release of the list of fallen soldiers, emotional fluctuations in the family may trigger domestic political turmoil, which the Zelensky administration does not want to see.
Russia has its own considerations when choosing to submit the body at this point in time. Currently, the Russian army is gradually making progress on the front line, while Ukraine is insufficient. At this time, Russia raised this "humanitarian" issue, which not only demonstrates Russia's "goodwill" but also creates problems for Ukraine, killing two birds with one stone.
This decision by Russia is a deeper pain for the families of thousands of ordinary Ukrainians. They cannot confirm the whereabouts of their loved ones, nor can they conduct formal mourning. The families of some dead soldiers have begun to organize protests, and they question where their relatives are? When can I go home? Ask the Ukrainian government to give an explanation.
The biggest challenge facing Ukraine now is the lack of troops. After more than two years of war of attrition, Ukraine's elite troops suffered heavy losses and the newly recruited soldiers were insufficiently trained. In this case, maintaining military morale becomes particularly important. If soldiers feel that their sacrifices do not receive the respect they deserve, it will affect the combat effectiveness of the frontline troops. Therefore, it is better to say that the bodies of 6,000 Ukraine soldiers are more like murder and heart-killing psychological warfare, full of plots.
