Ukraine receives bodies of 250 soldiers killed in Donetsk region

The bodies of 250 Ukrainian soldiers who died in fighting in a heavily contested eastern region of the country have been handed over by Russia, authorities in Kyiv said on Friday.

The soldiers had been killed in Bakhmut, Marinka, Avdiivka, Mariupol and elsewhere in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said.

The transfer was carried out with the help of organizations such as the International Red Cross, the headquarters said in a Telegram message.

After the bodies have been identified, they will be handed over to relatives for burial. It was not said whether the Russian side also received the bodies of its soldiers.

Separately, a second corvette-type warship, which was built in Turkey for Ukraine, has been launched.

"We know better than anyone how important security is, and this corvette will be a pledge of security for our entire common region," said the Ukrainian president's wife, Olena Zelenska, at the ceremony in Istanbul, according to a statement released on Friday.

The ship, christened Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi in March, is now undergoing sea trials.

The corvette was ordered in 2020 before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The coastal defence vessel, which is equipped with modern stealth technology, was ordered from Turkey as Ukraine's own shipbuilding is not sufficiently technologically advanced.

Originally, the final fitting-out was to take place in Ukrainian shipyards, but this is currently not possible due to the war. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and the head of the navy Oleksiy Neizhpapa lso attended the launch event for the corvette.

Until recently the Ukrainian fleet only had smaller ships and boats. Its flagship, the frigate Hetman Sahaidachny, was sunk shortly after the start of the war so that it would not fall into the hands of Russian troops during their advance.

However, the naval drones used by the Ukrainian navy against the Russian fleet have greatly reduced the importance of warships.

Ukraine has been defending itself against an all-out Russian invasion for more than two years.