Key facts
- Ukraine's military cemetery in Kyiv has interred over 300 "unknown defenders" with numbered crosses.
- The identification of fallen soldiers is a protracted process, with some graves potentially remaining nameless.
- The family of Ihor Yalynych identified him after a four-year search and bureaucratic process.
- Soldiers were not always required to provide DNA samples early in the war, complicating identification.
- Over 40,000 samples from unidentified bodies have been registered, with many matched to relatives' DNA.
- Ukraine has repatriated 24,805 bodies from Russia since the full-scale invasion began.
In Ukraine, the long-lasting impact of Russia's war is starkly illustrated by the ongoing efforts to identify fallen soldiers. At a military cemetery in Kyiv, rows of crosses mark the graves of "unknown defenders of Ukraine," each with a number and a note that identification is in progress. Some of these soldiers may never be identified, leaving families in perpetual waiting.
One such family, Stanislav and Oleksandra Yalynych, finally identified their father, Ihor Yalynych, a soldier who went missing in the Kharkiv region in 2022. After a four-year search, navigating complex bureaucracy and DNA testing, they were able to reclaim his remains. The process was hampered by a lost case file, according to Stanislav, which delayed the DNA comparison for over two years.
Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova explained that the state holds the flags of unidentified soldiers, symbolizing its role in honoring those who have fallen when no family is present to receive them. She noted that three soldiers initially buried as unknown have since been identified. The challenge stems partly from the early stages of the full-scale invasion when DNA samples were not consistently collected, leading to the creation of a database later on. Currently, about half of Ukraine's troops have provided samples.
Ruslan Abbasov, deputy director of the State Scientific Research Forensic Center, stated that over 40,000 samples from unidentified bodies have been registered since the invasion, with many matched against 170,000 samples from relatives. The identification process often extends beyond DNA, involving investigators searching personal belongings. Each unidentified body is assigned a number, both within the coffin and on its grave marker, to facilitate future identification.
Bodies are recovered directly from the battlefield or through repatriation from Russian forces. Since the invasion, Ukraine has repatriated 24,805 bodies. While some may carry identification documents, DNA testing remains crucial to confirm the identity of the remains.