Photo: Collected

KYIV, Ukraine, May 16, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Kyiv said on Saturday that Russia had returned 528 bodies to Ukraine identified as Ukrainian soldiers killed in action, in one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring neighbours.

"As a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 528 deceased individuals have been returned to Ukraine; according to the Russian side, they may be Ukrainian servicemen," Ukraine's prisoners of war centre stated on social media, without specifying when the remains were received.

Investigators and experts "will take all necessary steps to identify the repatriated deceased", the centre said, a day after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each.

Last Friday, US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire in the conflict from Saturday to Monday, as well as an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Friday's exchange of prisoners marked the first phase of the swap announced by Trump.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, exchanges of prisoners and the remains of fallen fighters have been one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.