Ukraine announced on Thursday that it has received the remains of 1,000 individuals identified by Russia as Ukrainian soldiers, marking the latest exchange of war casualties between the two countries.
Despite the ongoing conflict since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the exchange of prisoners of war and fallen soldiers remains one of the few areas where both nations continue to cooperate.
“Today, repatriation measures took place. One thousand bodies, claimed by the Russian side to belong to Ukrainian servicemen, were returned to Ukraine,” the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement posted on social media.
Ukrainian authorities said that forensic experts and investigators will conduct examinations to verify identities and determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Russian state media, citing unnamed sources, reported that the transfer involved the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers in exchange for the bodies of 30 Russian soldiers.
Public records indicate that since the start of the war, Ukraine has received a total of 15,000 repatriated bodies from Russia.
