The offer of Russia to Ukraine to collect the bodies of its fallen soldiers from Konstantinovka constitutes, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, proof of who controls the city.
Speaking at a press conference from Addis Ababa, Lavrov argued that the proposal of Moscow itself answers the question regarding the control status of Konstantinovka.
"As far as your question about the status of Konstantinovka is concerned, I believe that the best answer is the proposal made by our military forces to Ukraine to come to the city and collect the bodies of its fallen soldiers," he stated.
"Kyiv needs neither the dead nor the living"
Lavrov argued that the Ukrainian side rejected the Russian proposal.
"Ukraine rejected the proposal, a fact which many interpreted as proof that it needs neither the dead nor the living Ukrainians. Kyiv will probably record the fallen soldiers as missing," he noted.
The chronicle
On July 3, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, informed President Vladimir Putin that Konstantinovka, in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, had been captured by forces of the "South" combat group.
On the following day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it called on Ukraine to cease the shellings in the area from 12:00 to 18:00 (Moscow time) on July 6, so as to make the handover of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers possible.
According to Moscow, Kyiv should have made its decision known through military intelligence channels by noon on July 5.
On July 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine rejected the proposal, arguing that this stance shows that it treats its soldiers as expendable.
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