Russia returns bodies of 528 deceased to Ukraine
As a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 528 deceased individuals have been returned to Ukraine; according to the Russian side, these may be Ukrainian servicemen.
According to Ukrinform, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported this on Facebook.
The repatriation efforts were carried out as a result of the joint and coordinated work of representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center for the Search and Release of Prisoners of War 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 Gone Missing under Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service, and other agencies of Ukraine’s security and defense sector.
The Coordination Headquarters expressed sincere gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance and support in carrying out repatriation efforts.
“Special thanks go to the personnel of the Central Directorate for Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which transports the repatriated remains to specialized state institutions, organizes the transfer of the bodies of the fallen to representatives of law enforcement agencies within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and forensic medical examination services within the Ministry of Health, as well as to representatives of the civil-military cooperation structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are responsible for overall coordination,” the Coordination Headquarters emphasized.
According to the SSU, law enforcement investigators, in collaboration with expert agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will soon conduct the necessary examinations and identify the repatriated remains.
“Behind every such return lies complex interagency work aimed at ensuring that Ukraine’s fallen defenders are brought home and their families are allowed to bid a proper farewell to their loved ones,” the SSU emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, on May 15, 205 Ukrainians returned home from Russian captivity as part of the first phase of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange.