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Russia and Ukraine exchanged the remains of fallen soldiers on August 13, with Ukraine receiving 261 bodies and Russia receiving 24. The exchange took place at the Novaya Guta checkpoint in Belarus, with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will work to establish the identities of those whose remains were repatriated, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
It was the 14th exchange of fallen soldiers’ remains between Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of 2026. It followed a pattern recorded in previous rounds:
- June 18: Ukraine received 522 bodies; Russia received 33.
- May: 528; 41.
- April: 1,000; 41.
- February: 1,000; 38.
- January: 1,000; 38.
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A similar imbalance was recorded during the second half of 2025:
- December: 1,003 bodies were returned to Ukraine; 26 to Russia.
- November: 1,000; 30.
- October: 1,000; 31.
- September: 1,000; 24.
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According to figures cited by Russian officials, Russia has handed over approximately 26,239 remains of Ukrainian military personnel since the start of the conflict, while Ukraine has returned 3,538 Russian bodies. The reported overall ratio is 7.42 to 1. Since the beginning of 2026, the ratio has stood at approximately 19.8 to 1.
Despite continuing hostilities, the repatriation of fallen soldiers remains one of the few functioning channels of humanitarian contact between Moscow and Kyiv. Both sides have continued to exchange public accusations regarding the treatment of prisoners and the pace of humanitarian procedures, yet the regular schedule of body transfers suggests a minimal but sustained level of communication.
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