Ukraine brings back bodies of 51 soldiers from Russia

The bodies of 51 fallen service members were returned to Ukraine.

Oleh Kotenko, Commissioner for Issues of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances, reported this on the Telegram messaging app.

He said, "The bodies of servicemen who gave their lives for Ukraine were handed over to their homeland. Today, the bodies of 51 defenders were returned to their relatives."

The repatriation of bodies from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine took place with the assistance of the Ministry of Reintegration, the Commissioner for Missing Persons in cooperation with the Joint Center of the Security Service of Ukraine, Central Security Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other law enforcement agencies, departments, and international organizations.

The process of returning the bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers continues. It takes place following the norms of the Geneva Convention, said Kotenko.

The Commissioner for Missing Persons hotline is 0 800 339 247. On weekends, messages are accepted via Viber and Telegram by phone: (095) 896-04-21.

At the beginning of June, Ukraine returned another 95 of its defenders from Russin captivity in the latest prisoner swap. 

According to the data of the Unified Register, approximately 24,000  Ukrainians are missing. Dmytro Lubinets, Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, reported that Russia refuses to exchange "all for all," repatriate the seriously wounded and return civilians.

Since the large-scale Russian invasion began, Ukraine has returned 2,526 Ukrainians from captivity, according to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the lastest reports, about 3,400 Ukrainian service members are currently in captivity, Aliona Verbytska, the presidential commissioner for the rights of defenders of Ukraine, said in December 2022.