Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 252 people whom Russia says were Ukrainian service members, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) announced on Thursday.

Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will conduct examinations and identification procedures to establish the identities of the deceased, according to a statement released by the headquarters.

Kyiv thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for facilitating the repatriation and expressed gratitude to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel involved in transporting the remains to state institutions and coordinating their transfer to law enforcement authorities and forensic specialists.

The latest operation comes amid continued humanitarian cooperation between the two countries over the return of fallen personnel, despite the ongoing war and stalled peace efforts.

During previous repatriation operations, Russia returned the bodies of some of its own soldiers to Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. Kyiv has alleged that such incidents may have been intended to avoid compensation payments to the families of Russian servicemen or reflected what it described as a negligent attitude toward its own personnel.

The return of fallen Ukrainians accelerated after peace negotiations resumed in early 2025, although those talks subsequently stalled. Repatriation operations have remained one of the few areas of continued humanitarian cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.

In the most recent previous operation, on Aug. 13, Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 261 deceased individuals whom Russia said could belong to Ukrainian service members.

Ukraine regularly announces the number of bodies it receives from Russia but does not publish corresponding figures for the remains of Russian soldiers returned to Moscow.

The identification process following each repatriation is essential to determining the identities of the deceased and informing their families. (ILKHA)