In a military cemetery in Kyiv, crosses bearing the inscription "unknown defender of Ukraine" stand as a testament to the enduring impact of Russia's war. This somber reality unfolds as Ukraine grapples with the identification of its fallen soldiers, a process that officials and families anticipate will stretch on for years.
The national military cemetery, completed in January, began interring unidentified soldiers in August. More than 300 now lie beneath numbered crosses, with more graves being prepared. The construction of the cemetery was delayed, leaving unidentified bodies in refrigerated storage for much of the war.
For families like Stanislav and Oleksandra Yalynych, the wait for identification can be agonizing. Their father, Ihor Yalynych, a soldier who had served since 2015, was last seen in April 2022 in the Kharkiv region. His body was recovered after the area was liberated in September 2022, but the identification process, including DNA testing, took four years.
"I was a daddy’s girl, and I took the loss very hard," said Oleksandra Yalynych, 21. "All these four years, all I wanted was to come and sit with him, to talk. ... Now I’m glad we found him. Now I have somewhere to go."
Stanislav Yalynych described bureaucratic hurdles, including a police file that he states sat unprocessed for over two years. Mykolaiv police, in response to an inquiry, stated that no criminal proceedings had been lodged over Ihor's identification. Due to the missing file, Stanislav was only able to provide a DNA sample about six months ago, with a match following two months later.
Ukraine’s Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova explained that when an unknown soldier is buried, the flag that would normally be presented to the family is held by the state until the soldier is identified. Three of the first soldiers buried as unknown have since been identified. Kalmykova emphasized the profound need for families to honor those who gave their lives for their country's independence and right to self-determination.
Several factors contribute to the large number of unidentified soldiers. In the initial years of the full-scale invasion, soldiers were not required to provide DNA samples, and no database existed. A database has since been established, with about half of Ukraine’s troops now having provided samples. Identification can be further complicated when close relatives are in occupied territories, abroad, estranged, unaware, or deceased themselves.
According to Ruslan Abbasov, deputy director of the State Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 40,000 samples from unidentified bodies have been registered since the full-scale invasion. These have been matched against approximately 170,000 samples taken from relatives. Abbasov noted that investigators sometimes seek DNA through other means, such as searching an apartment or personal belongings.
When an unidentified body is buried, a number is placed inside the coffin, on the outside, and on the grave marker. A registry links these numbers to bodies and DNA matches, enabling graves to be located. Bodies are received directly from the battlefield or through repatriation from Russia. Since the invasion began, Ukraine has repatriated 24,805 bodies.
Maksym Paziura, a forensic medical examiner, highlighted the decomposition of many bodies and the complex task of processing them, with his branch in the Kyiv region handling 15 to 20 bodies daily. He stated that the workload has increased approximately fivefold compared to peacetime and that the identification process will continue long after the fighting stops.
Beyond closure, identification is crucial for families to settle inheritances, remarry, or claim compensation. Abbasov drew parallels to the Western Balkans, where identification processes continued long after the end of conflicts there, suggesting Ukraine will face a similar long-term challenge.
For Stanislav Yalynych, seeing his father's photograph on the grave brought a measure of peace. "Now it won’t only be us who know our father lies there," he said. He finds solace in the fact that strangers now inquire about his father, ensuring his sacrifice is remembered.