On October 18, the bodies of 501 fallen Ukrainian soldiers were returned to Ukraine.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on this.

In particular, they managed to repatriate 382 bodies of the Ukrainian defenders killed in the Avdiivka sector.

In addition, 56 fallen soldiers from the Bakhmut sector, 45 bodies of the defenders from the Mariinka sector, 6 bodies of the fallen defenders from the Vukhledar sector, 4 fallen soldiers from the Zaporizhzhia sector, and 7 bodies of the defenders who fought in the Luhansk sector were returned to Ukraine.

Ukraine managed to return one body from a morgue in Russia.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will transport the repatriated bodies and remains to designated state institutions.

Later, the law enforcement officials and forensic experts will identify the victims.

After identification, the bodies of the Ukrainian defenders will be handed over to their families for a decent burial.

The fallen defenders were returned thanks to the cooperation of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with the Joint Center of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Central Military Command), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

The return of the fallen defenders in 2024:

• On August 2, the bodies of 250 fallen defenders were returned to Ukraine;
• On June 14, 254 fallen Armed Forces servicemen were returned to Ukraine;
• On May 31, the bodies of 212 fallen defenders were returned to Ukraine as part of an exchange with Russia.

According to the information provided by The Wall Street Journal, the total losses of Russia and Ukraine as a result of the hostilities are estimated at approximately one million military personnel killed or wounded.

As of February 2024, official Ukrainian data indicate 31,000 dead soldiers.