Ukraine has returned the bodies of 252 fallen defenders for identification
As a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 252 deceased individuals—who, according to the Russian side, are Ukrainian servicemen—have been returned to Ukraine. This was reported by representatives of the relevant Ukrainian agencies.
Law enforcement investigators, together with representatives of forensic institutions, will take all necessary steps to identify the repatriated remains.
The repatriation efforts were made possible through the joint work of representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, and other agencies of Ukraine’s security and defense sector.
The event organizers expressed their gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance and support in carrying out the repatriation.
Special thanks were extended to the personnel of the Joint Center for Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The center’s military personnel ensure the transport of repatriated remains to specialized state institutions and organize the handover of the bodies to representatives of law enforcement agencies within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and to forensic medical experts within the Ministry of Healthof Ukraine.
Overall coordination of these activities is also carried out by representatives of the civil-military cooperation structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The return of the bodies is an important step in identifying the deceased and subsequently notifying their families.
Prior to this, the Russian side had handed over the bodies of 252 deceased servicemen to Ukraine. The repatriation of the bodies was carried out in accordance with agreements between the parties.
