Ukraine returns bodies of two soldiers found with Russian army ID tags

According to Ukrinform, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced this on Telegram.

He stated that, during a recent repatriation operation, Ukrainian specialists identified two bodies bearing military identification tags numbered AB 846408 and AB 449638."

The remains underwent the required forensic examinations and identity verification procedures. Following official protocol, the Ukrainian side transferred the bodies back to Russia.

Klymenko noted that Ukraine has received no confirmation that Russian authorities have informed the victims’ families about the return of their remains.

He advised that families of Russian servicemen who recognize the military ID numbers and have not yet received their relatives' remains should promptly contact the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), if they believe one of the deceased may be connected to them.

The Interior Minister stressed that DNA samples were collected prior to the handover and emphasized that the process for contacting the ICMP is straightforward. Families must first register through the ICMP’s online center. Following registration, individuals are required to visit the ICMP headquarters in The Hague to provide a DNA sample for comparative analysis.

Once this process is completed, Ukrainian authorities will be able to officially confirm that the body in question was held on Ukrainian territory and has since been transferred to the Russian side.

According to Klymenko, available intelligence suggests that Russian authorities may be attempting to reduce compensation payments to the families of deceased servicemen. As a result, they could be concealing the repatriation of bodies—or in some cases, disposing of them entirely.

“We do not need the bodies of Russian soldiers,” Klymenko emphasized. “Ukraine will continue to carry out thorough examinations and return the bodies of fallen Russian servicemen to the Russian side. Solely for humanitarian reasons, we urge the families of the deceased not to seek confirmation of their relatives through Ukraine, but instead to contact the International Commission on Missing Persons and the relevant Russian authorities.”

As Ukrinform previously reported, Klymenko released photographic evidence indicating that Russian forces have returned the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers mixed in with their own.

Photo: Telegram / Ihor Klymenko