Overview
- Russia said it transferred the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and received 38 Russian bodies in return.
- Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters confirmed receipt and said investigators and forensic experts will carry out identifications.
- Officials described the operation as part of the Istanbul agreements that formalized repatriations in 2025.
- Photos released by Ukrainian authorities suggest the exchange occurred near Chernihiv, though the location was not officially disclosed.
- Exchanges of remains have continued as a rare humanitarian channel, with 14 operations in 2025 returning 14,480 bodies to Ukraine and 391 to Russia.