More than 26,000 bodies and remains have been returned to Ukraine as part of repatriation efforts, but a significant portion of them remain unidentified, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov reported on his Telegram channel on Friday.
"The name of every fallen defender who gave their life for our country must be established and named. This is a matter of state responsibility. Within the framework of repatriation measures, more than 26,000 bodies and remains have been returned to Ukraine, but a significant part of them still remains unidentified. Why is the identification process proceeding so slowly, and why are families forced to live in a state of uncertainty for months and years?" Budanov emphasized following a meeting of the Coordination Council on Protecting the Rights of Veterans, Families of the Fallen, Prisoners of War, and Missing Persons.
According to him, delays and violations of regulations within the forensic medical examination system are unacceptable. A clear algorithm of action was worked out during the meeting.
"An interagency group will be created to review problematic issues related to the identification of the deceased, we will review the work of forensic medical examination bureaus, especially in the regions, and additionally engage international capabilities for conducting DNA examinations. All necessary regulatory and legal decisions will be adopted by the government in the near future," the Head of the Presidential Office concluded.
