Ukraine Recovers the Bodies of 503 Fallen Soldiers From Battlefronts and Russia

The bodies of 503 fallen Ukrainian soldiers have been repatriated to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, according to a statement made by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on December 20.

Among the returned fallen defenders of Ukraine:

• 403 from the Donetsk direction;

• 12 from the Luhansk direction;

• 57 from the Zaporizhzhia direction;

• 31 servicemen returned from morgues on Russian territory.

The Coordination Headquarters adds that, in collaboration with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the identities of the deceased will be determined as quickly as possible.

Previously, on November 28, Russia announced its purported willingness to exchange 630 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukrainian officials warned that it is another example of Russian propaganda, emphasizing that despite loud public declarations, Russian authorities failed to engage with official mechanisms to initiate the exchange process.

"We have repeatedly confirmed our readiness for exchanges, including the return of severely wounded and sick individuals, the release of women, exchanges in the 'all-for-all' format, and the unconditional release of Ukrainian civilians," said Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

On December 11, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war were officially confirmed executed by Russian forces in 2024.