Ukraine repatriates 252 bodies Russia claims are its soldiers

Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 252 people on October 22, 2026, which Russia claims were Ukrainian service members, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will conduct examinations to determine the identities of the deceased. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the operation. This latest repatriation follows a similar operation on August 13, when Ukraine received 261 bodies that Russia identified as potentially belonging to Ukrainian service members. Repatriation efforts have become a rare area of humanitarian cooperation between the two nations, particularly since peace talks resumed and later halted in early 2025.