ISTANBUL — Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the receipt of 528 bodies of fallen soldiers transferred from Russia as part of ongoing wartime repatriation arrangements.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine said on Saturday that the remains, which Russian officials indicated may belong to Ukrainian servicemen, were handed over under established repatriation procedures.
According to a statement published on Facebook, forensic experts and law enforcement investigators will now begin the process of identifying the deceased.
Earlier reports from Russian state media suggested a broader exchange, stating that Moscow had transferred 526 bodies to Ukraine while receiving 41 in return. However, Russia has not issued an official confirmation of the figures.
In April, Russia said it had returned 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers while receiving 41 in exchange. Ukraine acknowledged the receipt of 1,000 bodies at the time but did not provide details on transfers in the opposite direction.
According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, since June 2025 more than 12,000 remains have been handed over to Ukraine, while Russia has received over 200 bodies of its own servicemen.
The ministry also stated that 17 prisoner of war exchange rounds conducted in 2024 and 2025, with mediation from the United Arab Emirates, led to the release of more than 4,000 detainees.
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