Ukraine has returned the bodies of 501 fallen defenders.

On Thursday, July 16, the bodies of 501 dead, which the Russian side claims belong to Ukrainian military personnel, were returned to Ukraine.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported this.

Following repatriation, investigators and forensic experts will carry out the necessary procedures to establish the identity of each deceased.

The Coordination Headquarters noted that the return of the bodies was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Coordination Headquarters, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Ukraine), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), the Ombudsman’s Office, the State Emergency Service (SES), and other security and defense agencies. They also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for its assistance in carrying out the repatriation efforts.