Russia and Ukraine have carried out another exchange of the bodies of servicemen killed in the conflict. The latest transfer drew a strong reaction among Ukrainians, according to a representative of Russian security agencies cited by RIA Novosti, as the figures once again brought attention to the scale of losses suffered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The exchange was reported on July 16. State Duma deputy Shamsail Saraliyev, a member of the parliamentary coordination group on the special military operation, said Russia had received the remains of 31 people, while 501 bodies had been transferred to Ukraine.

A representative of a Russian security agency said the statistics from such exchanges repeatedly shocked Ukrainian residents and prompted renewed discussion of the actual losses sustained by the Ukrainian military.

The previous exchange took place on June 18. Russia handed over 522 bodies to Ukraine and received the remains of 33 servicemen. In May, Kiev accepted 526 bodies, while Moscow received 41.

Open-source information indicates that the parties have conducted at least 65 exchanges of fallen servicemen’s remains since February 2022.

Earlier, Apti Alaudinov, deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry and commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, estimated the Ukrainian military’s irrecoverable losses at more than two million people. He said the figure included not only those killed, but also prisoners, disabled servicemen and others no longer able to return to duty.