Ukraine announced on Friday that it had received the remains of 563 soldiers from Russian authorities, primarily those who lost their lives in combat in the eastern Donetsk region. The exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen military personnel remains one of the limited areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“The bodies of 563 fallen Ukrainian defenders were returned to Ukraine,” the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated on social media.
Bodies returned from Donetsk, Ukraine
This return marks one of the largest repatriations of deceased Ukrainian servicemen since the war’s onset.
According to the statement, 320 of the bodies were returned from the Donetsk region, including 89 soldiers killed near Bakhmut, a town Russia seized in May of the previous year following an intense battle. An additional 154 bodies were repatriated from morgues within Russia, the statement noted.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has publicly disclosed the number of military casualties incurred in the ongoing conflict.
Putin congratulates to Donald Trump
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election win, praising him as a “courageous man.”
At an event in Sochi, the Russian president remarked that Trump was “hounded from all sides” during his initial term in the White House.
Putin also noted that Trump’s assertion of being able to help end the war in Ukraine “deserves attention at least.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the war “in a day” but has yet to specify how he would accomplish this.
During a lengthy address that covered numerous topics, Putin also referenced the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July, remarking that it “left an impression” on him.
Trump willing to talk with Putin
After being shot, Trump raised his fist in the air, mouthing the words “fight, fight, fight,” before Secret Service agents quickly escorted him away.
“In my opinion, he acted very properly and courageously, like a real man,” Putin commented.
When asked if he was open to discussions with Trump, Putin responded, “We’re ready, we’re ready.”
On Thursday, Trump told NBC News that he was also willing to talk with Putin, saying, “I think we’ll speak.”
The Kremlin has long faced accusations of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to support Trump’s campaign against Hillary Clinton—allegations Moscow has consistently denied.
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