On September 17, as part of repatriation efforts, 252 bodies were returned to Ukraine under the “On the Shield” mission. According to information provided by the Russian side, the bodies belong to Ukrainian service members.
The return of the fallen was the result of coordinated work by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Joint Centre of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing under Special Circumstances, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and other components of Ukraine’s security and defence sector. The International Committee of the Red Cross also assisted in the process.
An integral part of these efforts is the work of search teams from the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s “On the Shield” humanitarian project, coordinated by the Central Directorate of Civil-Military Cooperation of the General Staff.
Despite the threat of drone strikes, remote mining and Russian shelling, the teams continue to operate in difficult and dangerous areas. For those who gave their lives for Ukraine, the journey home cannot remain unfinished.
The repatriated bodies will now be transported to designated institutions for the necessary forensic examinations and identification procedures.
“We continue the struggle to establish every name and ensure that each fallen defender is honoured with dignity. That is why the ‘On the Shield’ mission continues,” the statement said.
Eternal memory to the fallen defenders of Ukraine. Sincere condolences to their families and loved ones.
