Russia does not return fallen Ukrainian soldiers out of nobility. Every transfer is a psychological operation aimed at pressuring Ukraine. Moscow sends Ukraine large batches of bodies, with around 1,000 at a time, while Ukraine returns only dozens of Russian occupiers’ bodies, says expert Oleksandr Kovalenko.
This creates the illusion that Ukrainian losses are catastrophic and disproportionate compared to Russian losses.
In reality, on each square kilometer of temporarily occupied territory, there are 2–3 bodies of Ukrainian defenders, while Russians likely lose hundreds per the same area.
Vision of disproportionate losses for surrender
Transferring large batches of Ukrainian bodies builds the vision of disproportionate Ukrainian losses, Kovalenko notes. This fuels the narrative that Kyiv is losing and sacrificing people in a futile struggle for survival.
What’s actually happening: Russian occupation forces have been advancing since October 2023, taking positions and moving forward.
Conclusion: Russian troops have far greater access to the bodies of fallen Ukrainians. Ukrainian units in retreat cannot always evacuate the bodies of the dead.
The numbers speak the truth
Propaganda creates the impression that Ukrainian losses are catastrophic while Russian losses are minimal. For example, the last transfer of bodies in 2025 occurred on 19 December—1,003 bodies. In 2026, another transfer of 1,000 bodies took place on 29 January.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that 14,480 bodies of fallen Ukrainian defenders were handed over in 2025.
Reality: During that time, Russia captured 362 km², meaning 2–3 Ukrainian defenders’ bodies per km².
"From December 19, 2025, to January 29, 2026, Russians lost over 45,000 personnel that is about 124 bodies per km²," Kovalenko says.
Conclusion: This disproves the propaganda narrative of “catastrophic” Ukrainian losses and shows that Ukrainian defense remains effective even under intense pressure.
Russia mixes its own dead
Among the bodies returned were Ukrainian soldiers killed not only in 2025 but also in 2024, 2023, and even 2022. This creates the illusion of extraordinarily high losses in the last year.
Kovalenko adds, “In addition, some of the bodies returned to Ukraine were actually Russian occupiers.”
Moreover, an increasing share of Russian troops consists of personnel from Africa, Cuba, India, and other Third World countries, as native Russian men have long been replaced by Indian soldiers.
Conclusion: This tactic produces a false impression of “mass Ukrainian deaths” while concealing the true state of Russian forces, including the high proportion of foreign mercenaries.
If Ukrainian losses were truly catastrophic, Ukraine would have already surrendered
Russian propaganda tries to turn each transfer of fallen Ukrainian defenders into a macabre spectacle. Yet Russia still cannot explain why, despite these alleged “catastrophic” losses inflicted on Ukraine, in four years it has not captured a single regional capital or closed off any Ukrainian region.
Kovalenko adds, “Their offensive has slowed to a crawl, forcing top command to systematically lie about ‘liberating’ cities.”
Russia does not evacuate its dead from occupied territory: Videos are published daily showing Russian troops scattered across Ukrainian fields, with no concern from Russian commanders.
While the Russian command ignores tens or even hundreds of thousands of its own dead scattered across Ukraine, Ukraine honors each fallen defender, prioritizing the return and burial of their bodies.
"Notably, the failure to evacuate Russian dead frustrates the widows of these 'heroes,' who cannot receive burial benefits or even buy a white Lada Kalina, as their husbands are officially listed as missing," claims Kovalenko.
Conclusion: This stark contrast in the treatment of the dead demonstrates both Ukraine’s moral superiority and systemic problems within the Russian army.
