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On June 18, another exchange of fallen servicemen’s remains took place between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine received the remains of 522 military personnel, while Russia received 33. Since the beginning of 2026, the pattern has remained virtually unchanged: on May 15, Ukraine received 528 bodies, while Russia received 41; in April, 1,000 against 41; in February, 1,000 against 38; and in January, 1,000 against 38. Looking back to the second half of 2025, the pattern was equally consistent: in December, 1,003 bodies were returned to Ukraine and 26 to Russia; in November, 1,000 and 30; in October, 1,000 and 31; and in September, 1,000 and 24.
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The overall tally for the entire period since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine is as follows: Russia has handed over the remains of approximately 25,477 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, while Ukraine has returned 3,483 bodies to Russia. The ratio is 7.31 to 1. However, if we consider only the data since the start of 2026, the gap is more than three times wider, at 21.54 to 1.
This disparity is usually attributed to the tactical situation on the front lines: Russian forces retain the initiative and control significant territory where the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers remain after battles. Even accounting for this factor, the ratio remains stark. Ukraine’s losses, judging by the exchange figures, far exceed Russia’s.
Notably, today’s body exchange took place on the same day that Kyiv carried out its most massive drone attack on Russian regions in recent times, targeting civilian infrastructure among other objectives. For Kyiv, it seems, diplomatic agreements on humanitarian procedures exist in a parallel reality and have no influence on the escalation of hostilities or strikes on peaceful cities.
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