The Coordination Headquarters warns: do not trust Russian documents when identifying the bodies of fallen defenders
Kyiv • UNN
The Coordination Headquarters urges families of fallen defenders not to rely on information from the Russian Federation regarding the repatriation of bodies. Official identification is only possible after DNA examination by Ukrainian institutions.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War appealed to the families of fallen defenders not to rely on information provided by the Russian side during the repatriation of bodies. Experts emphasize that official confirmation of the identity of the deceased is possible only after DNA examination and obtaining conclusions from Ukrainian expert institutions. This is reported by UNN.
Details
During the last repatriation, which took place on January 29, the Russian side handed over remains that, according to its claims, belong to Ukrainian soldiers. Along with the bodies, the occupiers sometimes provided personal documents or tokens. However, the headquarters notes that the Russian side has already begun to independently inform families about the alleged return of their loved ones, which is a premature and often manipulative step.
However, there have been repeated cases when bodies of other persons were transferred along with documents
Facts have been established when the body of another person was transferred along with the documents of a Ukrainian serviceman. In particular, recently there was a case when, within the framework of an exchange, the body of a Russian occupier, whom the enemy tried to pass off as a deceased Ukrainian, was returned to the Russian Federation. Such incidents confirm the unreliability of enemy papers and the need for careful verification of each case.
Identification procedure and terms
Law enforcement investigators, together with representatives of expert institutions of Ukraine, have already begun all necessary measures to identify the repatriated deceased. The process includes taking biological samples and comparing them with the database of relatives. The Coordination Headquarters assured that all examinations will be carried out as soon as possible so that families receive reliable information about the fate of their loved ones.