Ukraine's government approved a single set of procedures on November 6, 2026, for the regional teams that identify the bodies of fallen soldiers and civilians, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said. All interagency regional teams will follow the same rules for examinations, forensic medical studies, biological sampling and documentation, and a unified coding system was introduced.
Key Numbers
Hr 600 million ($13.26 million)forensic medical examination funding in the draft 2027 budget, per Koretskyi
26,000bodies and remains returned from Russia, per Budanov
Who's Involved
Serhii Koretskyi
prime minister who announced the procedures
Kyrylo Budanov
Presidential Office head who gave return figures
↳ Why This Matters
Ukraine's regional forensic teams gain one set of examination and documentation rules, and the draft 2027 budget sets aside more than Hr 600 million ($13.26 million) for forensic medical examination, including equipment for regional bureaus. Budanov said more than 26,000 bodies and remains have been returned from Russia, with a significant portion still unidentified.
Key facts
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said all interagency regional teams will follow the same rules for examinations, forensic studies, biological sampling and documentation.
Koretskyi said a unified coding system was introduced so records stay accurate and identity data is not lost.
The draft 2027 budget earmarks more than Hr 600 million ($13.26 million) for forensic medical examination, including equipment for regional bureaus, Koretskyi said.
Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said on October 2 that more than 26,000 bodies and remains had been returned from Russia.
Budanov said a significant portion of the returned remains are unidentified; he gave no figure for the unidentified dead.
Ukraine's government approved a single set of procedures for the teams that identify the bodies of fallen soldiers and civilians, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on November 6. All interagency regional teams will now follow the same rules for examinations, forensic medical studies, collection of biological samples and documentation, he said.
Koretskyi said a unified coding system had also been introduced so that records are accurate and data needed to establish identities is not lost. "This way we are removing unnecessary delays, making the research higher quality and the teams' cooperation more coordinated at every stage," he said.
The draft 2027 budget earmarks more than Hr 600 million ($13.26 million) for forensic medical examination, including equipment for regional bureaus, the prime minister said. "It is important that families receive reliable information about the fate of their loved ones faster and can bid them a dignified farewell," he said.
Identifying the dead can rely on matching DNA from remains to samples from relatives. The report said that is a challenge in Ukraine given the difficulty of retrieving bodies from the battlefield or attack sites.
Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said on October 2 that more than 26,000 bodies and remains have been returned from Russia and that "a significant portion" remain unidentified. He did not provide a figure for the number of unidentified dead.
Frequently asked questions
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said all interagency regional teams will follow the same rules for examinations, forensic medical studies, collection of biological samples and documentation, under a unified coding system.
The draft 2027 budget earmarks more than Hr 600 million ($13.26 million) for forensic medical examination, including equipment for regional bureaus, according to Koretskyi.
Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said on October 2 that more than 26,000 bodies and remains have been returned from Russia, and that a significant portion remain unidentified.
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How It Developed
Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said on October 2 that more than 26,000 bodies and remains had been returned from Russia, a significant portion of them unidentified.
Ukraine's government approved a single set of procedures on November 6 for the teams that identify the bodies of fallen soldiers and civilians, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.
