Ukraine returned the remains of 1,245 more soldiers killed in the war with Russia on Monday, in the final stage of the peace deal reached in Istanbul earlier this month.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners, the Ukrainian government body that oversees affairs regarding prisoners of war, POW, announced the news on Telegram.
"Each of them undergoes identification. Because behind every one of them is a name, a life, a family waiting for answers," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on Facebook. The minister pledged to continue efforts to bring back our prisoners of war. The operation to repatriate the dead soldiers was coordinated by Ukraine's Security Service, SBU, the Ombudsman's Office, the military, the Interior Ministry, and other state and defense institutions, with assistance from the International Committee of Red Cross.
The Russian Defence Ministry also confirmed that Moscow received the bodies of 51 Russian soldiers in the latest exchange, bringing the total number of bodies returned by Ukraine to 78. Additionally, Russia offered to hand over another 2,239 bodies.
The repatriation of fallen soldiers was agreed during peace negotiations held between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on June 2. The deal also ensured the return of 1,000 prisoners of war on each side that became the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the full-fledged war in February 2022.
