{"id":199852,"date":"2026-08-13T15:05:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T12:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199852\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T15:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T12:05:27","slug":"russia-returns-remains-of-261-ukrainian-soldiers-via-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199852\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia returns remains of 261 Ukrainian soldiers via Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 13, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Russia and Ukraine have exchanged fallen soldiers\u2019 remains at the Novaja Huta border checkpoint at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, Belarusian state-run media outlets report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia has returned the bodies of 261 deceased Ukrainians, while Kyiv has handed over 24 bodies to Russia, reported Ukraine\u2019s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, most of similar exchanges between Russia and Ukraine took place in Belarus: on April 9, May 15, June 18 and July 16. On July 16, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 501 and 31 bodies, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The locations of two other exchanges, which took place on January 29 and February 26, have not been disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prisoner swaps in Belarus have taken place eight times in 2026, most recently on June 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus was involved in 18 exchanges in 2025 and 12 in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaroslav Chornohor, the Ukrainian foreign ministry\u2019s special envoy for relations with Belarusian pro-democracy forces, recently told Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> that exchanges of prisoners of war through Belarus would be impossible without contacts between Kyiv and Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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