Russia, Ukraine Exchange Corpses of Fallen Soldiers

(MENAFN) Moscow and Kiev have once again carried out an exchange involving the bodies of deceased military personnel, as revealed by Russian parliamentarian Shamsail Saraliev in an interview with a news agency.

Saraliev, who serves on a legislative committee overseeing Russia’s ongoing military activities in Ukraine, detailed the most recent transfer of remains.

As reported by Saraliev, Russia's Ministry of Defense returned 909 Ukrainian bodies, receiving in turn the remains of 34 Russian soldiers.

This exchange is part of a continuing effort to repatriate those who have perished in the conflict.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the transaction through a post on Telegram, stating that "Kiev had received the bodies of 909 servicemen."

However, the Ukrainian side did not specify the number of Russian casualties that were returned.

The process reportedly involved Ukraine’s armed forces, the Security Service (SBU), and was organized in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

These repatriation efforts have been occurring regularly, with similar exchanges taking place monthly.

For instance, in January, Russia delivered 757 bodies to Ukraine in return for the remains of 49 Russian troops.

A comparable arrangement was made in February, with Ukraine receiving the bodies of 757 soldiers and Russia obtaining 45 remains.

In March, another swap occurred involving 909 Ukrainian troops and 43 Russians, among whom were eight civilians.

These individuals had been detained following a cross-border operation in Russia’s Kursk Region and died while in captivity.

Most recently, in April, Russia once again returned 909 Ukrainian bodies and accepted 41 Russian remains in exchange.

These repeated transactions underscore an ongoing, though somber, cooperation between the two nations amid ongoing hostilities.

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