Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 501 individuals whom Russia says are Ukrainian service members, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) said on Thursday.

The returned remains will undergo forensic examinations and identification procedures by Ukrainian investigators and experts to establish the identities of those recovered, the agency said in a statement.

Officials did not specify how many of the repatriated bodies belonged to military personnel or civilians.

The Coordination Headquarters said forensic specialists would carry out detailed examinations before the remains are returned to their families.

The agency also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for assisting in the humanitarian operation, as well as to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who helped transport the bodies to state institutions and coordinate their transfer to law enforcement agencies and forensic experts.

The latest exchange follows a similar operation on June 18, when Ukraine received the bodies of 522 individuals that Russia also claimed were Ukrainian service members.

The return of deceased personnel has accelerated since peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow resumed in early 2025, with repatriation operations remaining one of the few areas where humanitarian cooperation between the two sides continues despite the ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian officials have previously alleged that, during earlier repatriation operations, Russia returned the bodies of its own soldiers among the remains transferred to Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the practice may have reflected administrative negligence or could have been intended to avoid compensation payments to the families of deceased Russian servicemen. Moscow has not publicly responded to those allegations.

While Ukraine regularly discloses the number of bodies it receives through repatriation exchanges, it does not publish figures regarding the remains of Russian soldiers returned to Russia. Those numbers have not been made public.

The repatriation process continues to serve as one of the few humanitarian channels maintained between the two countries amid the ongoing war. (ILKHA)