Moscow: In a grim milestone amid the ongoing war, Ukraine announced on Thursday that it has received over 1,000 bodies of its soldiers from Russia, marking one of the largest repatriations since Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The handover of bodies, facilitated through International Red Cross mediation, underscores the staggering human cost of the conflict which is set to enter its fourth year.
Ukrainian officials confirmed the transfer occurred in phases over recent weeks, primarily via exchange points along the frontline in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
“These are our heroes returning home for proper burial,” Defence minister Rustem Umerov said in Kyiv.
Forensic teams are working round the clock at military morgues to identify the remains, many of whom perished in brutal battles. Preliminary reports indicate at least 70% of the bodies have been matched with DNA records from missing soldiers.
The development follows a landmark prisoner swap last month, where hundreds of captives were exchanged on either side. Russia claimed it repatriated the bodies as a ‘goodwill gesture,’ but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky termed it as evidence of Moscow’s heavy losses.
“Russia sends back our dead because they can’t hide their defeats,” Zelensky posted on social media, seeking intensified Western arms support to minimise future casualties.
Humanitarian groups hailed the move but warned of gaps.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) noted that thousands more bodies remain unaccounted for, with both sides accused of delaying identifications. Families have waited years for closure. In Lviv, relatives gathered outside a reception centre, holding photos of the fallen amid chants of national mourning.
Ukraine has reported over 40,000 soldiers killed, while independent estimates put total military deaths above 500,000 combined.
