Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 503 soldiers who died fighting against Russia, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on Dec. 20.
The Geneva Conventions stipulate that those who lose their lives during war are entitled to a dignified burial. As of early March, Ukraine has identified more than 2,800 bodies and body remains of fallen soldiers, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
The bodies of 403 soldiers were recovered from Donetsk Oblast, while 57 and 12 bodies were brought back from Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk oblasts, respectively. Another 31 bodies were repatriated from morgues in Russia.
"Law enforcement officials and forensic experts will identify the victims as soon as possible," the headquarters wrote in a post on Telegram.
The operation to recover the fallen soldiers involved several government and military agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Interior Ministry, the State Emergency Service, and the Armed Forces.
The headquarters also thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance.
In early December, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that about 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during the full-scale invasion.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
