Russian and Ukrainian officials announced on Thursday that they have carried out another exchange of the bodies of fallen soldiers, a regular practice intended to allow the families of those killed on the battlefield to bury their loved ones.
According to Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, Russia has handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine, while Kyiv returned the bodies of 38 Russian soldiers to Moscow.
Medinsky also shared an image on Telegram from the exchange, showing white refrigerated trucks parked in a snow-covered area near a forest.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed that the exchange had taken place, stating that Russian authorities handed over 1,000 bodies to Kyiv, which Moscow claims belong to Ukrainian soldiers.
Kyiv and Moscow have continued regular exchanges of the bodies of fallen soldiers, while the most recent exchange of prisoners of war between the two sides took place in October 2025. Both sides continue to accuse each other of obstructing further prisoner exchanges.
