Somber Exchange: Ukraine and Russia Swap Bodies of Fallen Soldiers

Ukraine and Russia have completed another exchange of fallen soldiers' bodies, with Ukraine receiving 1,003 bodies and Russia 26. Both nations have been discreet about the total number of casualties since the war began in February 2022, and the process involves detailed examinations by experts.

In a somber development, Ukraine and Russia have conducted yet another exchange of the bodies of soldiers who perished in the ongoing conflict. The exchange was confirmed by officials from both countries on Friday.

Russia's Kremlin aide, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that Russia had handed over a total of 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen's remains to Ukraine, while receiving the bodies of 26 Russian soldiers in return. Ukrainian authorities affirmed the receipt of 1,003 bodies from Russia, emphasizing that investigators and experts will be responsible for conducting comprehensive examinations to identify the fallen.

Ukraine's prisoner-of-war coordination center shared images on the Telegram app depicting large trucks and individuals in protective gear inspecting the body bags. Since the onset of Russia's invasion in February 2022, exchanges of fallen soldiers' remains have been a recurring occurrence, though both nations have remained generally tight-lipped about the overall death toll.

(With inputs from agencies.)