Overview

• More than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies were returned to Kyiv while Russia received just over 50 deceased servicemen.
• Ihor Klymenko asserts that Russian forces blended Ukrainian and Russian remains to sow confusion and impede identification efforts.
• The latest repatriation follows an agreement reached in Istanbul in early June to facilitate humanitarian exchanges.
• Prisoner-of-war swaps accompanied the body return, bringing back servicemen from both sides including members of Ukraine’s army, National Guard and border troops.
• Most freed Ukrainian POWs were in poor health after enduring torture and inadequate medical care during Russian captivity.