Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, officials confirmed on October 23, 2025. In return, Ukraine handed over the remains of 31 Russian soldiers .
This marks the thirteenth such exchange conducted in 2025 . A similar transfer occurred on September 18, where Russia also handed over around 1,000 bodies while receiving 24 of its own . In total, Moscow has returned approximately 14,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv this year, while receiving just under 350 Russian remains in exchange .
The operation was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which acts as a neutral intermediary in such humanitarian efforts . The ICRC stated that its role includes providing technical advice and material support to ensure the dignified return of human remains, which aids in the identification process . "Bringing home the remains of fallen soldiers is vital for families seeking to confirm the fate of their loved ones during conflict," said Ariane Bauer, the ICRC's Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia .
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War is leading the response . The agency stated that investigators and forensic experts will now begin the meticulous process of examining and identifying the returned remains . This effort involves multiple Ukrainian government agencies, including the Interior Ministry, the Security Service, and the Armed Forces .
The search results indicate that the Russian side has declared its readiness to transfer approximately 3,000 more bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and has proposed organizing another prisoner swap . These exchanges, while emotionally charged, represent one of the few consistent areas of cooperation between the warring nations amid ongoing hostilities .
The human cost of the war remains immense. The ICRC reported that as of the end of May 2025, it had recorded 126,000 open cases of people reported missing by families on both sides . Overall casualties in the conflict since 2014 are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands .