{"id":1070249,"date":"2026-07-05T16:09:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1070249\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T16:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:09:18","slug":"russia-says-ukraine-rejects-local-ceasefire-for-handover-of-soldiers-bodies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1070249\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia Says Ukraine Rejects Local Ceasefire for Handover of Soldiers\u2019 Bodies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukraine has refused to halt the shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow\u00a0Russia\u00a0to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the\u00a0Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Russian military commanders told President Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow’s forces had\u00a0taken control\u00a0of Kostiantynivka, though Ukraine\u00a0denied\u00a0the claim, saying its forces remained in control of the town.<\/p>\n

Kostiantynivka is a key locality whose capture Moscow has long sought in its\u00a0military campaign\u00a0in the Donetsk region.<\/p>\n

Russia\u00a0said it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen’s bodies and had given Kyiv until 09:00 GMT on Sunday to respond.<\/p>\n

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and General Staff did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n

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