Russia to transfer 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv

Russia will transfer 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) soldiers to Ukraine, marking a new phase in the ongoing humanitarian agreement between the two countries, according to Russian officials. 

The first batch of 1,000 remains was handed over on July 17, fulfilling part of a pledge previously made by President Vladimir Putin, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“Ukraine will receive 3,000 bodies, as promised by the president,” a source close to the Russian negotiating delegation told TASS. “Today marks the start of this track,” the source added, referring to the phased transfer process.

Russian presidential aide and chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that the July 17 exchange also included the return of 19 fallen Russian soldiers’ bodies from Ukraine.

This latest development follows a broader agreement reached by negotiators in Istanbul on June 2, which stipulated the mutual repatriation of 6,000 fallen soldiers from each side. Russia began implementing the deal with a series of transfers starting on June 11, delivering 1,212 Ukrainian bodies, followed by additional batches of 1,200 on June 13–15. By mid-June, over 6,060 Ukrainian remains had been returned. In contrast, Russia had received the remains of approximately 78 of its own soldiers at that time.

Ukraine has underscored that each transfer is conducted in accordance with forensic and law-enforcement protocols, involving coordination between the Armed Forces, the Security Service (SBU), the Interior Ministry, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

By Sabina Mammadli