Ukraine returns to Russia body of soldier Moscow presented as fallen Ukrainian defender
The body of a serviceman that the Russian side had sent to Kyiv while presenting it as the remains of a fallen Ukrainian soldier was returned by Ukraine to the Russian Federation during the repatriation of fallen soldiers on 29 January.
Source: press service of the I Want to Live project
Quote: "The first repatriation of bodies and remains of the fallen in 2026 took place on 29 January, with the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The bodies of 38 deceased Russians were returned to Russia, including the body of a Russian serviceman that had been handed over to Ukraine by the Russian side during a previous repatriation."
Details: The case concerns Valentin Bozikov, a native of the Republic of Khakassia, who served in Russia's 55th Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit 55115). He had been listed as missing in action since February 2024.
Quote: "It appears that at the 522nd Centre for the Reception, Processing and Dispatch of the Deceased in Rostov-on-Don not only was no DNA sample taken for identification, but the body bag was not even opened. It is visually obvious that the deceased was wearing green Russian camouflage. The body was also not checked for personal belongings or documents.
Details: The Coordination Headquarters stress that this is not an only incident but a systemic problem.
I Want to Live have received over 160,000 reports concerning missing Russian servicemen since 2024.
For reference: I Want to Live is a government project designed to help Russian and Belarusian military personnel safely surrender. The project was launched in September 2022 by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which operates with the support of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
Background:
- On 29 January, Ukraine managed to return 1,000 bodies of the fallen, which Russia claims are those of Ukrainian defenders.
- On 19 December 2025, 1,003 bodies were brought back to Ukraine, which the Russian side claimed belonged to Ukrainian service members.
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