Ukraine has received the bodies of 252 people in an exchange of war dead with Russia, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Russia received 23 bodies in return, according to Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliev, who was quoted by Russian news outlet RBK.
The exchange is one of the limited areas in which Kyiv and Moscow have continued to cooperate despite the ongoing war.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the repatriation in a statement.
“As a result of repatriation measures, the bodies of 252 deceased persons have been returned to Ukraine,” the agency said.
Ukrainian authorities said police and other officials would carry out the necessary examinations to establish the identities of those whose remains were returned.
The identification process is expected to involve forensic examinations and comparison with available records.
Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the identities or circumstances surrounding the deaths of the people whose bodies were repatriated.
The transfer of bodies is part of a broader process involving the exchange of prisoners of war and the remains of fallen combatants.
Despite continued fighting between Russia and Ukraine, humanitarian arrangements involving prisoners and the dead have remained among the few areas where the two sides have maintained channels of communication.
The latest exchange provides families with an opportunity to recover the remains of relatives who died during the conflict and begin formal identification and burial procedures.
The war has resulted in large numbers of military and civilian casualties, although the full number of people killed remains difficult to establish independently.
Ukrainian authorities said further information would be provided after the identification process is completed.
