Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of deceased soldiers’ remains

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Russia and Ukraine agreed Friday to swap deceased soldiers’ remains, allowing each country to recover their bodies for proper burial. 

Approximately 132 soldiers were repatriated to their home countries after being killed in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Government agencies in both countries worked with the Red Cross to arrange the mutual exchange.

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The memorial procession from St Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral Kyiv to Maidan Nezalezhnosti for Ukrainian poet and serviceman Maksym Kryvtsov (Dali), who died on the front lines. (Pavlo Bahmut/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Shamsayil Saraliyev, a member of the Russian parliament, told state media that the nation had received the remains of 55 deceased soldiers. 

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced 77 bodies recovered from Russian custody.

“The preparations for the repatriation exchange had been underway for a long time,” said the Ukrainian agency, according to the Moscow Times.

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Ukraine’s forces have racked up notable success against Russia’s fearsome Black Sea fleet, leading to increased grain exports despite pessimistic expectations from allies. 

Western attention has largely focused on the results of Ukraine’s much-touted and discussed counteroffensive, which failed to produce the gains that many had anticipated. Instead, Ukraine has quietly worked on securing relatively safe exports through the Black Sea, ensuring that grain shipments continue during wartime. 

Rescuers work on the scene of a building damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

The United Nations brokered a deal in July 2022 to ensure that the “breadbasket of Europe,” responsible for 30% of the global grain supply, would continue to ship vital grains despite a Russian blockade. 

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The deal collapsed one year later, and Russia started hitting grain silos, leaving many in fear of a food shortage crisis. However, as it had done throughout the conflict, Ukraine refused to simply fold to Moscow’s pressure and worked tirelessly to create alternative means of shipment. 

Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken contributed to this report.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com