Ukraine receives 1,003 bodies of servicemembers from Russia
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Russian propagandistic media reported that Ukraine has received 1,003 bodies that Russia claims belong to Ukrainian servicemembers.
The Coordination Headquarters said that investigators from law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct all necessary examinations to identify the repatriated bodies.
“Repatriation measures have been made possible as a result of joint work by staff of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center at the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsman, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and other bodies of Ukraine’s security and defense sector,” the statement reads.
At the same time, the Russian Federation reported that, under the Istanbul agreements, it had allegedly handed over 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemembers to Ukraine and received 26 bodies of Russian servicemen.
To provide background, on November 20 and on October 23, 2025, 1,000 bodies that Moscow claims belong to Ukrainian servicemembers were returned to Ukraine from Russia. 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers were returned also on August 19, 2025.
