Bodies of 121 fallen defenders returned to Ukraine

The bodies of 121 fallen Ukrainian soldiers were returned to Ukraine as a result of repatriation measures.

That’s according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Ukrinform reports.

Ukraine managed to repatriate 12 bodies of defenders who fought in the Luhansk direction, another 107 – in the Donetsk direction, and two – in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

The operation became possible thanks to the cooperation of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with the Joint Center under the Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons, Armed Forces of Ukraine, State Emergency Service, and other security and defense agencies.

The HQ expressed special gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for the assistance provided in the process.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will transport the repatriated bodies and remains to designated state institutions.

Law enforcers and coroners will work to identify the remains.

Following identification, the bodies will be handed over to families.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, almost 40% of Ukrainian citizens who were returned home from Russian captivity had been considered missing, according to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets.