Russia returned 528 bodies to Ukraine, says Kyiv

Kyiv said on Saturday that Russia had returned 528 bodies to Ukraine, identified as Ukrainian soldiers killed in action, in one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring neighbors.

“As a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 528 deceased individuals have been returned to Ukraine; according to the Russian side, they may be Ukrainian servicemen,” Ukraine's prisoners of war center stated on social media, without specifying when the remains were received, reports AFP.

Investigators and experts “will take all necessary steps to identify the repatriated deceased,” the center said, a day after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each.

Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump made an announcement on social media that the two sides would observe a three-day ceasefire in the conflict, from Saturday to Monday, as well as an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Friday's prisoner exchange marked the first phase of the swap announced by Trump.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, exchanges of prisoners and the remains of fallen soldiers have been one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.

AM