US EditionRussia and Ukraine exchange more than 1,000 soldiers' bodies
The exchange follows the Istanbul agreement and included the release of 157 prisoners and the return of 1,000 Ukrainian and 35 Russian soldiers’ bodies, marking the second such event this year.
- On February 25, 2026, the Coordination Headquarters reported Russia handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv, while Ukraine returned 35 Russian bodies, Vladimir Medinsky said.
- Coordination bodies including the ICRC and the Joint Center at the Security Service of Ukraine facilitated the transfer under the Istanbul agreements that enabled repatriations.
- Trucks carried the remains in refrigerated vehicles, and law enforcement investigators with forensic medical examiners at the Ministry of Health will identify the repatriated deceased.
- On the eve of Geneva talks, Zelensky said he expected trilateral negotiations in early March, and `President Trump supports this sequence of steps`, Zelensky added.
- Analysts note a striking imbalance in returns, as Moscow and Kyiv agreed to return up to 6,000 bodies each and thousands have been exchanged since the 2022 full-scale invasion.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Russia announced it would return the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv in exchange for the remains of 35 Russian soldiers, amid the protracted war entering its fifth year and preparations for a new round of talks mediated by the United States.
Russian authorities claim that they handed over the remains of a thousand soldiers to Ukraine, and in return received the bodies of 35 Russian soldiers.
Russia and Ukraine conduct another exchange of fallen soldiers
“Moscow handed over 1,000 bodies of its fallen troops to Kiev, while the Ukrainian side sent the remains of 38 Russian servicemen,” explained Medinsky, who is also the head of the Russian delegation during several rounds of talks with representatives of the Ukrainian government. The official stated that the last exchange, part of the agreements reached in Istanbul last year, took place on January 29. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed, in th…
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