Ukraine collects Russian soldiers' bodies for exchange

MALA ROHAN (Ukraine): Volunteers searching for dead Russian soldiers found 60 of them in the northeastern region of Kharkiv after the Russian forces retreated from the area in recent weeks.

Using from DNA to tattoos to everything in between, Ukrainian volunteers set out to collect killed Russian soldiers among the rubble of previously occupied towns, according to Reuters.

Ukraine authorities might use these bodies for prisoner exchanges or in exchanges of Ukrainian bodies, said Anton Ivannikov, Ukrainian's military official.

The bodies of high ranking officials can be especially valuable to an exchange, according to the report.

Volunteers reportedly were stacking up bodies in refrigerated rail carriage, to ferry them to Kyiv where the negotiating point is based.

Ivannikov said searches were on for collecting documents including credit cards which Ukrainian authorities believe would help identify bodies.

Also, they would help identify which solider and brigade spent time in the region.

Despite Russia's efforts to pulverize Ukrainian cities, Ukraine was able to push Russian forces out from towns in Kharkiv region.

Reuters reportedly witnessed volunteers using ropes to drag dead Russian soldiers from a well in a razed neighborhood in the village of Mala Rohan, east of Kharkiv city.

One of the dead soldiers had their hands tied signaling they may have been punished for desertion.

However, Reuters said it was not able to confirm the circumstances of any deaths.

Another body was dug up from a shallow grave with cardboard saying "Russian occupant buried here".

Russia's Defence Ministry would not comment on the allegation that Russian solider may have been killed for desertion.

Also, the Defence Ministry wouldn't say if exchanges of bodies would happen.

It seems Ukraine is increasingly proving to be Vladimir Putin's Waterloo.