Ukraine says Russia gives bodies of Azovstal soldiers in new swap

• The exchange took place near the central city of Zaporizhzhia.
• Ministry: 37 of those returned died fighting in Azovstal.
• The ministry says the process of returning the bodies is still underway.

Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it had exchanged the remains of dozens of soldiers killed in the Russian invasion, including personnel who perished battling in the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol.

“Another exchange of bodies of deceased soldiers has taken place: 50 fallen heros have been returned,” Ukraine reintegration ministry, which is responsible for territory under Russia’s control, said in a statement.

The ministry said the exchange took place on the front lines near the central city of Zaporizhzhia and it had been an even swap of 50 bodies on both sides.

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It said 37 of those returned died fighting in Azovstal, the last point of resistance in the strategic port city of Mariupol captured by Russia after a months-long operation at the end of May.

The exchange Thursday comes after a first swap was announced on June 4 by the reintegration ministry.

It said that several days earlier, on June 2, the remains of 160 Ukrainian soldiers were swapped with Moscow.

The Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, an advocacy group, said this week those bodies had been returned to Kyiv and that 30 percent had died at Azovstal.

According to a statement released by the ministry on Wednesday, the process of returning the bodies of killed Ukrainian soldiers is still underway.

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