DNA will be taken abroad from relatives of occupiers who died or went missing
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, together with the International Commission on Missing Persons, is ready to conduct DNA sampling abroad of relatives of Russian servicemen who died during hostilities or lost contact. This was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, at a briefing.
"We received approval so that it is in the MKZB units that Russians abroad, relatives who have lost contact with their loved ones who served in the Russian army, can apply and be able to submit their DNA when searching for their relatives," the minister said.
According to him, this initiative is designed to speed up the process of identifying the bodies of Russian military personnel who were transferred by Russia to Ukraine during the repatriation procedure.
Klymenko emphasized that the relevant contacts of the ICZB will be published this week. And Russian citizens will be able to contact this international organization.
Later, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that after the briefing, journalists were shown evidence of the presence of Russian bodies in public: documents, badges, patches, and personal belongings.
"So that the Russians see that their state is abandoning its own not only alive, but also dead. We are ready to return Russian bodies. But we cannot make mistakes. Knowing the treachery of Russia, it is important for us to be sure that these bodies truly belong to the enemy," he stated.
Klymenko clarified that the ICZB will organize DNA sampling in the countries of the European Union.
"We will soon publish a list of collection points and instructions for registering to hand over biomaterial. And, of course, we will continue publishing about unidentified bodies in Russian form," he added.
- On June 16, 2025, Klymenko stated that during the latest repatriations, Russia transferred to Ukraine the bodies of its military, mixed with the bodies of Ukrainian defenders.
- On June 21, Zelensky reported that during the repatriation, the Russians handed over at least 20 bodies of the dead occupiers among the fallen Ukrainian defenders.
