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Russia, Ukraine Swap Fallen Soldiers’ Bodies

Funeral of a fallen Ukrainian soldier. Military Media Center / Ukrainian Ministry of Defense

Russia and Ukraine said Friday that they have exchanged the bodies of 150 fallen soldiers, the third publically known exchange between the two warring sides so far this year. 

Kyiv repatriated 121 bodies, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on the messaging app Telegram.

The coordination center identified 107 of the soldiers as those killed in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, 12 in the Luhansk region and two in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.

It added that they will be transported to forensic experts and law enforcement officials for further identification.

Meanwhile, Moscow received the remains of 29 soldiers, the RBC news website cited Russian lawmaker Shamsayil Saraliyev as saying.

On March 15, Russia repatriated the bodies of 69 of its soldiers in exchange for 100 fallen Ukrainian servicemen.

Moscow and Kyiv have stepped up the exchange of bodies with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross, its forensic adviser Carlos Villalobos told Russian state media last week.

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