On Thursday, Russian and Ukrainian authorities facilitated an exchange of deceased soldiers, marking a rare instance of cooperation between the two nations currently in conflict. According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine, the return included 261 bodies that Moscow identified as Ukrainian military personnel. Kyiv has raised concerns in past exchanges, alleging that the remains delivered by Russia sometimes included non-combatants or Russian soldiers.
Reports from the RBC news outlet, referencing a Russian official, confirmed that Moscow released 261 sets of remains, while Ukraine provided 24 in return. These transfers of human remains and prisoners of war represent some of the infrequent diplomatic interactions between the warring parties since the invasion began over four years ago.