Russia Returns 1,000 Ukrainian Soldiers’ Bodies in Major Exchange, Kyiv Confirms

In a rare moment of cooperation amid the ongoing war, Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The exchange also included the return of 19 Russian soldiers’ remains by Ukraine, making it one of the largest repatriations since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The Ukrainian agency confirmed that among those repatriated were five soldiers who died in captivity, a detail that underscores continuing concerns about the treatment of prisoners of war. Officials said that Ukrainian law enforcement and forensic experts will now begin the process of identifying the remains before handing them over to families for proper burials.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated that the exchange was carried out under agreements reached during recent talks in Istanbul, where both sides have been engaging in discreet discussions despite fierce fighting across multiple fronts. While Kyiv initially described the deal as part of a wider plan to exchange 6,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers’ bodies, Moscow framed this specific handover as a unilateral humanitarian step.

The war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides, though neither Russia nor Ukraine regularly publishes casualty figures. Independent Western estimates suggest the numbers are far higher, with Russia sustaining heavy losses in the east and Ukraine facing intense pressure in its counteroffensive operations.

Despite the brutality of the conflict, exchanges of prisoners and fallen soldiers have emerged as one of the few sustained channels of cooperation. In recent months, both countries have accelerated such efforts, partly due to mediation by international partners and humanitarian groups.

Analysts say the latest move may reflect Moscow’s attempt to project goodwill ahead of broader negotiations, while for Ukraine it provides families with long-awaited closure. Still, the scale of the handover—1,000 bodies at once—highlights the enormous human toll of the war, now well into its third year.