Sadovyi said why Russia needs the remains of Kuznetsov and Putin from Lviv.

Why Russia needs the remains of NKVD agents

The city mayor of Lviv

Andriy Sadovyi

According to him, the remains of Soviet soldiers and NKVD employees found during the exhumation could potentially be used for an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war. Previously, the Russian side had already contacted Ukraine with official letters regarding those buried in Lviv.

The remains of NKVD agent Mykola Kuznetsov and Soviet major Stepan Putin were found in Lviv.

'The ashes of Kuznetsov have been attempted to be stolen several times. There were court decisions, there were letters from the Russian authorities regarding these remains. They need it. He is one of their symbols', said Andriy Sadovyi.

The mayor of Lviv emphasized that the city is ready to hand over the remains of Soviet soldiers, but only on the condition that Ukrainian defenders return home in exchange.

The remains of individuals named Putin and Kuznetsov are under special control to avoid possible provocations or manipulations by third parties.

Previously, Sadovyi proposed exchanging the bodies of Soviet soldiers from the 'Hill of Glory' for Ukrainian prisoners. A total of 355 remains were discovered there.

And the head of the executive committee of the Lviv city council, Yevhen Boyko, revealed a plan to cleanse Lviv of symbols of Soviet occupation. During the exhumation at the Hill of Glory in Lviv, the remains of 355 individuals were found, among which were names that may interest the Russian side. The mayor indicated that these remains could be used for exchanging Ukrainian POWs, discussions regarding this have already occurred between the parties.