Russia, Ukraine exchange bodies of fallen soldiers

Russia and Ukraine announced on Thursday that they had completed another exchange of fallen soldiers' bodies as part of agreements reached earlier this year in Istanbul.

In a statement on Telegram, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said 1,000 bodies of deceased soldiers were returned to Ukraine, and 38 were received in return.

"Within the framework of the Istanbul agreements, the bodies of 1,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers have been transferred to Ukraine. The bodies of 38 dead Russian soldiers have been transferred to Russia," he said.

In a statement, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War also announced the exchange, saying it received the bodies of 1,000 of its servicemen.

"Repatriation events took place today, as part of which one thousand bodies were returned to Ukraine," it said on Telegram.

On Dec. 30, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said approximately 2,300 Russian servicemen and about 170 civilians were returned from Ukraine this year under the prisoners of war agreements reached in Istanbul.

Galuzin also mentioned the exchange of fallen soldiers' remains, claiming Russia transferred to the Ukrainian side about 12,000 bodies and received around 200 from Ukraine last year.

The last exchange of this kind took place on Dec. 19 of last year.