1,000 bodies returned to Ukraine, Russia claims they belong to Ukrainian military personnel
As part of repatriation efforts, 1,000 bodies (remains) of the deceased have been returned to Ukraine, which, according to the Russian side, belong to Ukrainian defenders.
According to Ukrinform, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced this on Telegram.
“Today, repatriation measures were carried out, as part of which 1,000 bodies (remains) of the deceased, which, according to the Russian side, belong to Ukrainian defenders, were returned to Ukraine,” the message says.
Law enforcement investigators, together with Ukrainian expert institutions, will take all necessary measures to identify the repatriated deceased.
Repatriation measures were successfully implemented as a result of joint efforts by representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center for Coordination of Search and Release of Individuals Unlawfully Deprived of Liberty due to Russian Armed Aggression under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing under Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service, and other structures of the Security and Defense Sector of Ukraine.
The headquarters expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance.
"Special thanks go to the personnel of the civil-military cooperation structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Joint Center for Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which transports the repatriated deceased to designated state specialized institutions, organizes the transfer of the bodies of the deceased to representatives of law enforcement agencies in the Ministry of Internal Affairs system and for medical examination in the Ministry of Health system," the Coordination Headquarters said.
As reported by Ukrinform, on December 19, 2025, 1,003 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers were returned to Ukraine.
Photo: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War