Russia returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers on Tuesday, including five who died in captivity. Ukraine’s agency confirmed the return and said law enforcement would identify the soldiers. In exchange, Ukraine handed over 19 bodies of Russian soldiers, a Russian official said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, both sides have lost tens of thousands of soldiers. However, neither regularly shares detailed casualty numbers. Prisoner exchanges and returning the dead remain one of the few ongoing cooperative efforts between the countries.
The two sides have increased these exchanges recently during talks in Istanbul. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said the return of bodies followed agreements made there. Kyiv initially mentioned plans to exchange 6,000 bodies from each side, but Moscow views the current return as a unilateral gesture.
The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said sadly, five soldiers died in Russian captivity. Identification efforts by Ukrainian authorities will now begin to confirm their identities.
This exchange highlights the tragic human cost of the conflict while showing rare moments of cooperation amid ongoing war. Both nations continue to negotiate but the path to lasting peace remains unclear.