Ukraine receives remains of 1,245 more fallen defenders in latest repatriation effort

Another 1,245 Ukrainians who lost their lives have been brought home as part of the completed repatriation process outlined in the Istanbul agreements with Russia.

The information was confirmed by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

“Today marked the final stage of repatriation efforts under the agreements reached in Istanbul. Another 1,245 bodies were returned to Ukraine — reportedly those of Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel, according to the Russian side. In total, Ukraine has received 6,057 bodies under the framework of the Istanbul agreements,” the statement reads.

Law enforcement officers, in cooperation with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct all necessary examinations to identify the repatriated remains.

These repatriation efforts were made possible through the joint work of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons.

The Coordination Headquarters expressed its gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance.

The headquarters also expressed gratitude to the personnel of the Central Directorate of the Internal Affairs Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Joint Center for Support of Operations within the Internal Affairs Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These units are responsible for transporting the repatriated individuals to designated state-specialized institutions, organizing the handover of the deceased to law enforcement agencies under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and coordinating forensic medical examinations conducted by the Ministry of Health.