Major bodies of soldier's are given to Ukraine

(MENAFN) Russia has returned the remains of 1,200 deceased Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv, both governments confirmed on Friday, marking another significant exchange in the ongoing conflict.

According to official Ukrainian sources involved in the coordination of prisoner and casualty affairs, the bodies will undergo forensic procedures to verify the identities of the fallen. The announcement was echoed by a Russian lawmaker from a parliamentary group overseeing military operations in Ukraine, who also confirmed the handover.

Video footage from the handoff, which occurred at an undisclosed location, shows the remains arriving in Ukraine aboard refrigerated train containers mounted on flatbed railcars. The bodies were later transferred into a Ukrainian cargo train for further transportation.

Reports indicate that this exchange did not include any Ukrainian transfer of Russian soldiers' bodies. No remains were returned to Russia during this operation.

The development follows an earlier handover carried out on Wednesday, during which Moscow returned the remains of 1,212 Ukrainian troops. In that previous exchange, Ukraine reportedly transferred the bodies of just 27 Russian soldiers, according to a high-ranking Russian official involved in negotiations with Kyiv.

These repeated exchanges underscore the humanitarian dimensions of the conflict, even as hostilities continue on the ground.

MENAFN14062025000045017281ID1109673437