Moscow/Kyiv: Russia has handed over the bodies of 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the ongoing war, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Sunday. The transfer is part of a broader agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to exchange prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased.
According to Ukrainian authorities, over 4,800 fallen soldiers have been repatriated in multiple exchanges this month alone, marking one of the largest returns of war dead since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian state news outlets TASS and RIA also reported on the latest handover, stating that Moscow has not received a single Russian body in return.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led his country’s delegation in the recent talks held in Istanbul, announced the handover on Sunday. “As part of the agreements in Istanbul, the repatriation of the bodies of the deceased continues. Today, the Russian side handed over another 1,200 bodies to Ukraine,” he said.
Umerov emphasised the next crucial phase — the identification of the remains. “This is a complex and delicate work that will give each family the opportunity to receive answers,” he added.
The exchange is the fourth such transfer of remains conducted in the past week under the Istanbul agreements. The terms allow for up to 6,000 bodies to be exchanged, in addition to the transfer of sick, severely wounded, and young prisoners of war under the age of 25.
While Ukraine has made substantial recoveries, Russia has so far reported receiving the remains of only 27 servicemen. Both nations have engaged in three separate prisoner-of-war exchanges so far, but neither has revealed precise figures.