Bodies of fallen soldiers exchanged as Russia, Ukraine reopen humanitarian channel

Russia and Ukraine have carried out their first exchange of the remains of deceased servicemen in over a month, marking a significant development in ongoing efforts to manage the human cost of the conflict.

The exchange was confirmed by Shamsail Saraliev, a member of the State Duma and representative of the parliamentary coordination group on the special military operation, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

In this latest transfer, Ukraine received the remains of 1,000 servicemen, while Russia was returned 24 bodies of soldiers.

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner Affairs officially acknowledged the receipt of the remains and announced that the identification process will commence promptly.

The previous exchange was reported on August 19, when Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation during the Istanbul negotiations, confirmed that Russia had transferred the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen in return for 19 bodies of Russian soldiers.

These exchange agreements were established during the Istanbul talks earlier this summer. By mid-June, Ukraine had received the remains of over 6,000 fallen soldiers, underscoring the scale and ongoing nature of these humanitarian efforts.

By Vafa Guliyeva