Ukraine returns first two bodies of Russian soldiers, repatriated as fallen Ukrainian defenders

Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced this.

"During recent repatriation procedures, our experts identified two bodies bearing personal military dog tags from the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian side conducted all necessary checks, examinations, and forensic analyses. As a result, adhering to humanitarian principles and repatriation agreements, Ukraine officially returned these two bodies to the Russian side," he wrote.

The minister also noted that Russia has not confirmed informing the families of the deceased. Authorities in Russia likely hide repatriation details to avoid compensation payments and sometimes even destroy bodies.

Klymenko emphasized that Ukraine will continue returning Russian bodies on humanitarian grounds but urges relatives to contact the International Commission and Russian institutions rather than Ukrainian authorities.

• Russia violates the proper temperature conditions for storing bodies and returns the remains of fallen Ukrainian soldiers in a mutilated, decomposed state, making identification difficult.