Kyiv recovers Azovstal fighters' bodies in swap with Moscow

Kyiv said Tuesday it had received the bodies of 64 soldiers who died defending Mariupol's steelworks in an exchange with Moscow that saw Ukraine returning the remains of Russian troops.

"Ukraine has recovered the bodies of 64 heroic Azovstal defenders for their dignified burial," the Ukrainian reintegration ministry, which is responsible for the territory under Russia's control, said in a statement.

Azovstal, the last point of resistance in the southern port city of Mariupol, was captured by Russia at the end of May after a months-long operation.

The ministry said the swap took place in the Zaporizhzhia region but did not say exactly when, nor did it specify how many Russian soldiers' bodies had been returned.

The exchange came after two previous swaps between Kyiv and Moscow involving 210 dead Ukrainian soldiers that were made public earlier this month.

The ministry said the process of recovering the bodies of Ukrainian troops was ongoing and taking place in accordance with the norms of the Geneva Convention.