Ukraine, Russia exchange bodies of killed soldiers

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Odesa Regional Military Administration on August 13, 2026, Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire in a train’s locomotive following an air attack at an undisclosed location in the Odesa region. Photo by Handout / Odesa Regional Military Administration / AFP.

Russia and Ukraine swapped bodies of killed soldiers on Thursday, in one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring sides.

“The bodies of 261 deceased persons have been returned to Ukraine, which, according to the Russian side, belong to Ukrainian servicemen,” Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

Kyiv has previously accused Russia of including the remains of civilians and Russian soldiers in the exchanges.

Citing a Russian lawmaker, the RBC media outlet also said Moscow had handed over 261 bodies, while Ukraine had transferred 24.

The exchange of bodies and captured prisoners of war are some of the only areas where the two sides conduct diplomacy and reach agreements, more than four years since Russia invaded.