**Ukraine Recovers Bodies of 503 Fallen Soldiers**
Ukraine has brought back the bodies of 503 soldiers who died fighting against Russia. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on December 20.
These soldiers were identified as having been killed during the conflict. The Geneva Conventions require that they be given a dignified burial. Ukraine has found more than 2,800 bodies and body parts of fallen soldiers since March, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
Most of the recovered bodies came from the Donetsk Oblast (403), with smaller numbers from Zaporizhzhia (57) and Luhansk (12) oblasts. Another 31 bodies were returned from Russian morgues.
**Efforts to Identify Victims**
Law enforcement officials and forensic experts will now try to identify these soldiers as soon as possible, according to the Coordination Headquarters. This process involved several government and military agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Interior Ministry, the State Emergency Service, and the Armed Forces.
The headquarters also thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance in this operation.
**Background**
In early December, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that about 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed during the full-scale invasion. This number will continue to grow as more bodies are recovered and identified.
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