Dead in fighting

Kiev receives hundreds of bodies back from Moscow

The International Red Cross was also involved in the restitution process(Bild: AFP)

Thousands of soldiers are dying in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Kiev is repeatedly negotiating with Moscow for the return of fallen soldiers. Now there has been a major handover.

According to Ukraine, it has received the bodies of 501 soldiers back. According to the responsible coordination staff, 382 of the soldiers were killed in the Avdiivka region in eastern Ukraine alone. The others died in the Donetsk regions near Bachmut and Marjinka, as well as in the Luhansk region.

Killed soldiers are handed over to their families
According to the coordination team, the International Red Cross and several Ukrainian institutions were involved in the return. After experts have identified them, the killed soldiers are to be handed over to their families for burial.

No details were given about the return of the killed Russian soldiers.

Kiev and Moscow also exchange prisoners again
Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian armed forces also exchanged prisoners of war again. According to the state agency Tass, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that 95 prisoners each had been handed over to the other side.

UAE as mediator
Russia and Ukraine had last handed over 103 prisoners of war each at the beginning of September. The exchange that has now taken place was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

In the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two and a half years, negotiations on the return of dead bodies or the exchange of prisoners are among the last remaining threads of communication between the hostile sides.