Russia, Ukraine exchange remains of soldiers

Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of deceased soldiers on Thursday.

Shamsail Saraliev, a member of Russia's parliamentary coordination group on military operations, told reporters in Moscow the Russian side transferred the bodies of 522 Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine returned the remains of 33 Russian servicemen.

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that 522 bodies had been returned to Ukraine as part of "repatriation measures."

The International Committee of the Red Cross assisted in the process, according to the statement.

The General Staff said the repatriated bodies would undergo forensic examinations and identification procedures before being returned to their families.

Prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of the dead remain among the few areas of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine despite the ongoing conflict.