Ukraine identifies remains of 252 soldiers returned by Russia
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Ukraine received the bodies of 252 people from Russia on October 22, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will now work to identify each person. Russia claims the bodies are those of Ukrainian soldiers, but Ukraine will verify this through examination. Russia has previously returned bodies of its own soldiers to Ukraine during repatriations.
Ukrainian officials suspect Russia may do this to avoid paying benefits to families of deceased Russian soldiers or because of a lack of concern for their citizens. The rate of these returns increased when peace talks between Ukraine and Russia began in early 2025, though those talks later stalled. Despite the ongoing war, repatriating remains remains an area of cooperation between the two countries, following a previous return of 261 bodies on August 13.
Ukraine does not release information about Russian soldiers’ remains it sends to Moscow.
