“Bringing home the remains of fallen soldiers is vital for families seeking to confirm the fate of their loved ones during conflict. In line with its long-standing role as neutral intermediary, the ICRC observed the large-scale transfer at the request of the parties to the conflict,” said Ariane Bauer, the ICRC's Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia in Geneva. “The repatriation of deceased military personnel is an important step towards identifying them and providing answers to waiting family members."
The multi-day operation carried out from 11 to 16 June was agreed following negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on 2 June 2025. The ICRC was subsequently invited by the parties to participate as a neutral intermediary. It provided the parties with technical advice and material support to enable the return of human remains in a dignified manner. This enhances the possibility of identification by the authorities.
Parties to an armed conflict are legally required by the 1949 Geneva Conventions to search, collect and evacuate the dead – regardless of which side they fought for. It is their responsibility to take all possible measures to identify them and inform their families.
Since 2022, the ICRC has taken part in more than 50 repatriations of human remains involving both parties to the conflict. The terms and timing of such operations as well as those whose remains are to be repatriated are agreed upon between the parties.
“The ICRC’s ability to act as a trusted intermediary in humanitarian operations is rooted in its neutrality and independence,” said Bauer. “We appreciate the work done by the parties to agree and coordinate these repatriations. The ICRC stands ready to support further efforts that ensure the dignity of the dead and help bring closure to their families.”
As of the end of May 2025, 126,000 open cases of people reported missing by families on both sides were recorded by the ICRC.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
Galina Balzamova, ICRC Moscow, tel: +79035453534, email gbalzamova@icrc.org
Patrick Griffiths, ICRC Kyiv, tel: +380666570289, email: pgriffiths@icrc.org
