Russia and Ukraine have completed another exchange of fallen soldiers’ remains, with Moscow repatriating the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen and receiving 19 Russian soldiers’ remains in return.
The swap, announced on August 19, follows agreements made during talks in Istanbul.
The process is part of ongoing humanitarian efforts to return deceased soldiers to their respective countries.
The exchange was confirmed by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which noted that the Ukrainian servicemen’s remains originated from conflict zones in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kursk regions.
Among the repatriated were five soldiers who died in Russian captivity, previously listed as seriously wounded and slated for exchange under the Istanbul agreements.
Ukrainian authorities will now conduct forensic examinations to identify the remains.
This repatriation follows a June 2 agreement in Istanbul, where Russia committed to returning over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies, a process completed by June 16 with 6,057 bodies transferred in phases.
In exchange, Ukraine returned 79 Russian soldiers’ remains earlier.
The recent swap comes after high-level discussions, including a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, and subsequent meetings involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Western European leaders.
These talks addressed potential resolutions to the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine continues to advocate for the release of all prisoners, including seriously ill and wounded individuals, though broader exchange proposals remain unresolved.