1,000 bodies returned from Russia for identification as Ukrainian defenders
Ukraine repatriated 1,000 bodies on Thursday that Russia claims belong to fallen Ukrainian defenders, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports.
Ukrainian investigators and forensic institutions will conduct all necessary procedures, including DNA testing, to identify the repatriated remains.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs previously explained that identification can take a long time because Russia often transfers multiple bodies in a single package, and sometimes fragments of one person are found in different packages or across separate repatriation stages.
Ukrainian experts perform DNA analysis on every body or set of remains. There have been instances where Russia attempted to hand over bodies of its own citizens alongside fallen Ukrainian soldiers during exchanges; Kyiv has already returned at least three such bodies.