In June, Ukraine conducted its largest body exchange since the start of the full-scale war, repatriating 6,057 bodies to Ukrainian-controlled territory under the Istanbul agreements. As of July 28, 62 individuals have been identified, with ongoing forensic examinations for the remaining bodies, according to the Office of the Commissioner for Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances, Slidstvo.Info reports.
Commissioner Artur Dobroserdov explained the complexities of the process, noting that bodies may remain exposed or partially buried if not immediately evacuated by Russian forces. “After some time, when evacuation or search operations become possible, the aggressor state retrieves these bodies,” he said.
Before their return to Ukraine, the remains are stored in a hub in Russia.
Dobroserdov highlighted logistical challenges, stating, “Sometimes, one bag contains the remains of different individuals, or parts of one person are sent to different forensic medical bureaus. This creates significant work, as we cannot return part of a body to a family and later inform them additional remains were found, requiring reburial.”
Slidstvo.Info also spoke with Maksym Fedorenko, head of the Cherkasy Oblast Forensic Medical Bureau, who noted that most repatriated soldiers’ deaths resulted from mine-explosive injuries. Only about 10% of bodies can be visually identified, sometimes aided by documents or personal items. For the remaining 90%, molecular-genetic DNA testing is required, comparing samples from the deceased with relatives’ DNA.
Ruslan Abbasov, deputy director of the State Research and Forensic Center of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, said DNA identification can take months to half a year.
“Decomposition or charring complicates the process,” he said. “Not everything works out the first time. Some cases require 20-30 attempts. And how do you explain to the family and relatives that it’s not working out? Each [body] fragment represents someone’s life. Bone remains and teeth are among the most challenging samples, even for international experts.”
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