Ukraine repatriates 252 bodies that Russia claims belong to Ukrainian soldiers
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Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 252 people who Russia claims were Ukrainian service members, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) said on Oct. 22.
Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will conduct examinations and identification procedures to determine the identities of the repatriated bodies, the statement read.
During previous repatriations, Russia at times returned the bodies of its own soldiers to Kyiv, with Ukrainian officials alleging the practice may have been aimed at avoiding compensation payments to Russian families or reflected a "negligent attitude toward their own people."
Kyiv thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for facilitating the repatriation and expressed gratitude to Armed Forces personnel involved in transporting the remains to state institutions and coordinating their transfer to law enforcement authorities and forensic experts.
The return of fallen Ukrainians accelerated when peace talks resumed — but later stopped — in early 2025. Repatriation operations have become one of the few areas of continued humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia.
The latest repatriation follows a previous operation on August 13, when Ukraine brought home the bodies of 261 deceased individuals that Russia said could belong to Ukrainian service members.
While Ukraine regularly reports the number of repatriated bodies it receives from Russia, it does not publish data on the remains of Russian soldiers returned to Moscow.
