The Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War reported the return of 757 fallen Ukrainian defenders’ bodies from various frontline locations.
The repatriation efforts involved multiple state agencies and international partners.
This brings the total number of repatriated fallen soldiers to 1,260 in recent months, following a December 2024 operation that recovered 503 bodies.
There are an estimated tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers captured and possibly held in Russia, making repatriation complex due to ongoing hostilities and negotiations surrounding prisoner exchanges.
The recovered bodies returned on 24 January were retrieved from several key directions:
- 451 from the Donetsk direction
- 137 from the Zaporizhzhia direction
- 71 from the Bakhmut direction
- 51 from the Vuhledar direction
- 13 from the Luhansk direction
- 34 bodies recovered from morgues in Russian territory
The operation adhered to Geneva Conventions, which mandate dignified treatment of war victims. Multiple agencies collaborated, including the Security Service of Ukraine, Interior Ministry, State Emergency Service, and Armed Forces.
The International Committee of the Red Cross assisted in the repatriation efforts. Law enforcement and forensic experts will work to identify the fallen soldiers promptly.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that approximately 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during the full-scale invasion.
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