The bodies of 79 killed Ukrainian defenders were returned to the Ukrainian side on Tuesday, according to the website of the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.

"The transfer of bodies from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine took place with the assistance of the Office of the Commissioner for Missing Persons under the Ministry of Integration in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. It should be noted that the transfer of the bodies of the deceased military is carried out in accordance with the norms of the Geneva Conventions. The bodies of our defenders will be handed over to their families for a decent burial," the message reads.