Russia and Ukraine conduct exchange of fallen soldiers

2026-02-26 - 10:32

Russia and Ukraine carried out a new exchange of the bodies of fallen soldiers on Thursday, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky announced via Telegram. According to Medinsky, Ukraine received the remains of 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen, while Russia received 35 fallen soldiers. Previous exchanges The latest swap follows a prior exchange on January 29, in which Moscow returned 1,000 bodies to Kyiv and received 38 Russian soldiers in return. Medinsky noted that the exchanges are being conducted under the framework of the 2025 Istanbul agreements. Humanitarian context Since the start of the conflict, both sides have also organized multiple prisoner exchanges, often facilitated by international mediators such as the UAE and the United States. According to Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, over 1,800 Russian servicemen were released from Ukrainian captivity in 2025 through such exchanges. Ongoing efforts These swaps are part of broader measures to address humanitarian concerns amid the ongoing hostilities, allowing both countries to return the remains of their fallen personnel to families while continuing negotiations under international supervision.