Ukraine Repatriates Remains of 909 Fallen Defenders Following Extensive Recovery Operations
On May 16 Ukrainian authorities announced the repatriation of the remains of 909 fallen servicemen who died defending the country’s sovereignty. This significant effort highlights the continued commitment to honor those who sacrificed their lives.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters on Prisoners of War Issues.
The recovered remains come from soldiers who fell in some of the most intense and strategically important conflict zones across Ukraine. These include the Kurakhivka, Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, and Vuhledar directions – all located within Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, an area that has witnessed heavy fighting due to its proximity to key industrial centers and contested territories. Additionally, remains were recovered from the neighboring Luhansk region.
The repatriation also includes fallen defenders from the Zaporizhzhia region in southeastern Ukraine, an area crucial for its industrial and energy infrastructure, as well as from Sumy and Kharkiv regions in northeastern Ukraine. Some remains were also retrieved from morgues on the territory of the Russian Federation.
This achievement was made possible through the coordinated efforts of multiple Ukrainian agencies. Key roles were played by the Coordination Headquarters, the Joint Center under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances, the State Emergency Service, and other security and defense structures.
Special thanks were extended to the International Committee of the Red Cross for their vital assistance throughout the process. The Coordination Headquarters also expressed gratitude to the personnel of the Armed Forces who ensure the careful transportation of the repatriated remains to designated state facilities, as well as those who coordinate the handover to law enforcement representatives and forensic experts from the Ministry of Health.
Currently, investigative and forensic teams are working intensively to identify the fallen in the shortest possible time, allowing for dignified burials and providing closure for families.