Ukraine and Russia have completed a cross-border exchange of war dead, resulting in the repatriation of 277 bodies in total. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed on Thursday that 252 deceased individuals were returned to Ukrainian custody. Conversely, Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliev informed the RBC news outlet that Moscow received 25 bodies from the Ukrainian side.
The exchange remains one of the few instances of direct cooperation between the two nations since the conflict began. The Ukrainian headquarters stated that local police and relevant officials are now tasked with performing all necessary identification procedures for the repatriated remains. The organization expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for their role in facilitating the process.
Visual evidence of the operation, shared on social media, showed several large white trailer trucks parked back-to-back, with personnel in white, hooded jumpsuits bearing the ICRC logo overseeing the transfer. Meanwhile, the I Want to Live foundation—an entity affiliated with Ukraine’s Intelligence Directorate that manages Russian prisoners of war—confirmed that the remains of Russian servicemen were included in the exchange. The foundation noted that the group included the body of a Sri Lankan citizen who had been serving in the Russian army and was classified as a combatant under international law.
These exchanges occur on a regular basis as the conflict continues. Earlier this month, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, estimated that approximately 26,000 bodies and human remains have been repatriated to Ukraine through such operations, with the majority currently awaiting formal identification. According to official figures released by both sides, Ukraine has received the remains of 5,300 individuals since the beginning of the year, while Russia has received fewer than 300. The ongoing war, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.
