Ukraine says Russia returns 1,000 bodies in latest exchange

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged the bodies of more than 1, 000 combatants.

The bodies of 24 Russian soldiers were handed over by Ukraine, while the vast majority of the bodies were from Russia.

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“Repatriation measures were implemented today. 1, 000 bodies, which are believed to be those of Ukrainian servicemen, have been returned to Ukraine, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which was announced on Thursday on Telegram.

The only areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia have been the repatriation of soldiers’ bodies and the exchange of prisoners since the conflict started in February 2022.

According to the “I Want to Find” project in Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross mediated the body exchange.

Since Russia’s invasion, tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed on both sides. However, neither Kyiv nor Moscow regularly release information about their own casualties.

Zelenskyy: Russia is being pushed back by Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke out on Thursday about the Ukrainian army’s decision to reverse some of the advances Russia made over the summer in eastern Ukraine. He described the operation as an “important success” despite months of setbacks on the battlefield.

In a video address, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces had taken control of the 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) of land close to the coal-mining town of Dobropillia, where Russian troops had occupied Ukraine’s defenses in August.

Despite the fact that the area had not yet been officially reclaimed, he added that Ukrainian troops had “cleared” Russian forces from a further 170 km (66 miles).

The president said Russia had “suffered thousands of losses” but did not specify when the gains were realized.

Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine is “quite rightly defending its positions and its land.”

According to The Institute for the Study of War, based in Washington, Russia seized 1, 910 square kilometers (737.5% of the country’s territory) in May, June, July, and August, at a cost of 130, 000 casualties, with an average of 68 per square kilometer.