Bodies of 1000 Deceased Returned to Ukraine

On Tuesday, August 19th, repatriation measures took place within the framework of previous agreements with the Russian Federation.

1,000 bodies, which, according to the Russian side, belong to Ukrainian servicemen, were returned to Ukraine.

This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

According to the headquarters, among those repatriated are five bodies of Ukrainian servicemen who died in captivity. They were on the list of “seriously wounded and seriously ill” prisoners designated for exchange under the agreements reached in Istanbul during the second round of negotiations.

“The Russian side continues to stall and fails to fulfill its obligations. Ukraine insists on the immediate release of all seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners and is fighting for the return of all Ukrainian citizens,” the headquarters said in a statement.

Defenders from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kursk sectors were also returned ‘on the shield.’

In the near future, law enforcement investigators, together with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct all necessary examinations and identification of the bodies.

Earlier, investigators had already established that Russia was mixing the remains of its dead servicemen with the bodies of Ukrainian defenders being handed over for repatriation.

During the examination, experts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs found distinctive insignia and tattoos with Russian symbols among the remains.

In addition, the elements of military uniforms and other signs indicating that the bodies belonged to Russian soldiers were found.

It is reported that the relatives of the deceased Russian soldiers who had identified the remains or suspect that their relatives were among them could contact the International Commission on Missing Persons.

Ukraine, for its part, records all cases, complies with international norms, and acts solely on humanitarian grounds.