Ukraine and Russia exchange bodies of war dead
David, a former prisoner of Russia-Ukraine conflict, finally got his chance to say a proper goodbye to his slain friend on Thursday at a Kyiv crematorium.
David and other soldiers bade farewell to Ilya Honcharov, whose coffin was draped in the yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag.
David was among 144 Ukrainian soldiers - including 95 who fought in Mariupol - that Russian forces turned over June 29 in a prisoner exchange.
The body of the 26-year-old Honcharov, among hundreds the two sides also have swapped even as they fight each other, is one of the very few that Ukrainian authorities have been able to identify.
His brother recognized one of his tattoos.
More than 2,000 Azovstal defenders marched out of its twisted wreckage into Russian captivity in mid-May, ending the nearly three-month siege of Mariupol.
David is still not able to talk about his six weeks in captivity for fear of jeopardizing the release of other POWs and he did not want to be identified by his full name.
But he spoke willingly about his friend Honcharov.
Honcharov died May 16, the day that marked the beginning of the end of the Mariupol siege.
A fortunate few were flown out in low-flying helicopters before the surrender in a series of daring and sometimes deadly clandestine rescue missions.
But more than 2,400 remained trapped and turned themselves over to Russian forces.
The survivors left behind hundreds of bodies - Honcharov's among them.
The body of Honcharov was returned to Kyiv in one of six exchanges of remains.
The swaps have included the bodies of more than 400 soldiers who fell in Mariupol, including at Azovstal.
How many remain isn't known.
Each side gives the other 45 bodies, meeting and signing paperwork before going their separate ways. Bodies that Russian forces have turned over have been from a variety of Ukrainian units.
DNA testing is needed to identify most of the remains.
Just 2% to 3% are identified with personal belongings, soldiers' uniforms or distinguishing marks including tattoos.
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