Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,212 fallen defenders Including those killed in Kursk

Ukraine has received the bodies of 1,212 fallen defenders, including soldiers who died fighting in the east and south of the country, as well as in Russia’s Kursk region.

The information was confirmed by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on Telegram, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

Among the returned remains are those of Ukrainian service members who perished in the following regions:

• Kursk Region (Russia)

• Kharkiv Region

• Luhansk Region

• Donetsk Region

• Zaporizhzhia Region

• Kherson Region

The repatriation of the bodies was made possible through the joint efforts of the Coordination Headquarters, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service (SES), and other bodies within Ukraine’s security and defense sector.

The Coordination Headquarters also acknowledged the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the operation.

The remains will now be transferred to law enforcement officials and forensic experts for the identification process.

As previously reported, during the second round of negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange. The agreement includes the exchange of all severely wounded and gravely ill prisoners of war, as well as all military personnel aged between 18 and 25.

Both sides also agreed to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers each.

On June 9, a new exchange was carried out between Ukraine and Russia. While the total number of returned soldiers has not been officially disclosed, it was confirmed that among those brought back were wounded and seriously wounded troops, as well as soldiers under the age of 25.

A second phase of the exchange took place on June 10, during which more wounded and severely injured Ukrainian soldiers returned home.

By Tamilla Hasanova