Translated with AI
On Thursday, January 29, Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of fallen military personnel for the first time in 2026, according to official sources from both countries.
The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on its Telegram channel that 1,000 bodies and remains of the dead, which the Russian side claims belong to Ukrainian defenders, have been returned to Ukraine. The bodies and remains will be handed over for examination and identification.
In turn, State Duma Deputy Shamsail Saraliev reported that 38 bodies of Russian servicemen had been returned to Russia. The exchange took place with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as an intermediary and oversaw the repatriation process.
The previous exchange of bodies took place on December 19, 2025, approximately 40 days ago. At that time, Russia handed over 1,003 bodies of Ukrainian defenders to Ukraine, and Ukraine, in return, returned 26 bodies of Russian soldiers. According to official data, in 2025 alone, Ukraine received over 15,000 bodies of its servicemen.
Previously, the Ukrainian side has repeatedly noted that the bodies of the deceased handed over by Russia often contain damage, complicating the identification process. There have also been cases of Russian bodies being handed over to Ukraine under the guise of Ukrainian military personnel, which has complicated forensic examinations.
The exchange of bodies of the dead is carried out within the framework of established procedures and international norms aimed at the humanitarian resolution of issues related to deceased military personnel, as well as to ensure the identification and transfer of bodies to relatives.
