Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 909 soldiers who died fighting against Russia, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on May 16.
The bodies of soldiers were recovered from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts as well as from morgues in Russia.
"Law enforcement officials together with expert institutions of the Interior Ministry 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.
Over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC published on Feb. 16, 2025.
Nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the start of the all-out war, Zelensky told NBC. "Ten of thousands" of Ukrainian troops were missing in action or being held in Russian captivity, according to the president.
As of May 16, Russia has lost around 971,690 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Daria Shulzhenko
Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.
We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.
More than 20,000 people chose to stand behind us. We’re deeply grateful and overwhelmed with your support. Thank you for making it possible.
(Updated: )
