Russia Hands Over 528 Bodies Believed to Be Ukrainian soldiers

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Kyiv: Ukraine said on Saturday that Russia had returned the bodies of 528 people believed to be Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war, marking one of the largest recent repatriation exchanges between the two countries. The remains will now undergo forensic examination and identification before being sent to the relatives, according to Ukrainian officials.

As per Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the bodies were transferred as part of ongoing humanitarian and repatriation efforts that were aided by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Officials reported that Russia asserted the dead were Ukrainian soldiers, despite the fact that identification still need to be formally confirmed.

The exchange occurs a day after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 POWs each, keeping one of the limited channels of communication that still exist between the two countries in spite of escalating hostilities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, has emphasised repeatedly  how crucial it is to recover both prisoners and the remains of fallen soldiers.

As the war continues until its fifth year, large-scale body exchanges have become more frequent. In a different repatriation operation earlier this year, Russia returned some 1,000 bodies thought to be those of Ukrainian soldiers. There are still thousands of soldiers reported as missing or unaccounted for from both sides.