The bodies of 528 fallen soldiers have been returned to Ukraine from Russia
As part of repatriation efforts, 528 bodies of the deceased have been returned to Ukraine; according to the Russian side, they may belong to Ukrainian servicemen.
This was reported on Telegram by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
The return of the bodies took place as part of agreed-upon humanitarian measures between the parties. Following this, all bodies will be sent for examination to facilitate further identification.
Investigators and forensic agencies will conduct the necessary forensic and genetic procedures to identify the deceased.
The repatriation was made possible thanks to the work of:
- the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
- The Joint Center under the SBU
- the Armed Forces of Ukraine
- the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Office of the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada
- The Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons
- State Emergency Service and other security and defense agencies
The role of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which facilitated the process, was also noted.
Once the bodies are delivered to specialized facilities, the full identification process for the deceased will begin, including the transfer of materials to law enforcement agencies and forensic medical examination.
It is separately noted that the logistics and coordination of the process are carried out by the civil-military cooperation units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in cooperation with state agencies.
On May 15, the 74th prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place, during which 205 Ukrainian servicemen returned home.
Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner-of-war exchange on a 205-for-205 basis, according to preliminary data from reports by the Russian side and Telegram channels. Official details regarding the location, time, and lists of participants are currently being clarified.
Ukraine has managed to repatriate more than 9,000 of its citizens from Russian captivity, including both military personnel and hundreds of civilians. This was reported by Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, who emphasized that efforts to bring people home are ongoing.
In 2025, Ukraine recorded a record number of civilian deaths since the start of the full-scale war. According to official data, Russia remains the biggest violator of human rights, and the number of victims and the extent of destruction continue to rise.
