On Thursday, October 22, as part of regular repatriation measures, the bodies of 252 fallen were returned to Ukraine. According to the Russian side, they belong to Ukrainian servicemen. Experts have yet to identify the fallen.

This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

After the return of the bodies, investigators from law enforcement agencies together with representatives of expert institutions will conduct the necessary investigations for their identification. Until the completion of the relevant procedures, the affiliation of the repatriated bodies to specific servicemen is not considered established.

The repatriation was organized with the participation of the Coordination Headquarters, the Joint Center under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service and other structures of the security and defense sector.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also facilitated the repatriation measures.

Servicemen of the Joint Center for Ensuring Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are transporting the repatriated bodies to specialized state institutions. There they will be handed over to law enforcement officers and forensic medical experts for the necessary procedures.

The Russian side also confirmed the repatriation and stated the transfer of bodies on the formula 252 to 25. As reported by the Russian RBC, citing State Duma deputy Shamsail Saraliev, Russia handed over 252 bodies to Ukraine and received 25 bodies of the fallen.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters in its report did not indicate the number of bodies transferred to the Russian side. Thus, information about Russia receiving 25 bodies is currently based on the statement of its representative.

The previous repatriation took place on September 17, 2026. Then Ukraine also returned the bodies of 252 fallen. After the transfer, they were sent for examination to establish identities. The Russian side claimed that it received 23 bodies of the fallen.

Based on materials from: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War