On Saturday, Ukrainian military members carried the coffin of Oleksiy Yukov, the head of the Platsdarm search unit, during his funeral at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv. Yukov was known as the ‘collector of souls’ for his decades-long effort in recovering the remains of soldiers and civilians from war frontlines. He died from a landmine explosion in the eastern Donetsk region during a recovery mission.
Yukov, aged 40, died on August 5 while trying to exhume a body. His friend, Serhiy Hnezdilov, shared in a social media post that Yukov’s death was a significant loss, highlighting his dedication to giving names back to the deceased. Thousands of Ukrainians attended his Orthodox Christian memorial service in Kyiv. Prior to the event in the capital, Yukov was also commemorated in Sloviansk, his hometown in Donetsk province.
Renowned for his relentless commitment, Yukov helped bring closure to families affected by war. In 2022, while on duty, he sustained serious injuries from a mine blast that resulted in the loss of an eye and a leg injury, yet he resumed his work even during recovery.
Yukov’s fascination with locating wartime remains began as a teenager on World War II battlefields in Ukraine. The Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014 propelled him to establish Platsdarm (‘Bridgehead’). This organization focused on recovering remains and ensuring dignified burials.
Yukov gained the title ‘collector of souls’ through his work, assisted by a small group of Platsdarm volunteers. He described a typical day: ‘If it’s safe, we survey with a drone, check trenches, craters, belongings, and rubbish bins. We grid the area, search for mines with probes and metal detectors, and call in bomb disposal to neutralize threats. Then, we carefully search for bodies.’
His team recovered remains of not only Ukrainian soldiers but also Russian soldiers and civilians affected by the conflict. Even amidst the ongoing war, Yukov maintained humanity, collecting deceased soldiers on both sides. The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
In an International Emmy-award-winning documentary about Platsdarm’s efforts, titled ‘Ukraine’s Frontline Sacrifice,’ Yukov shared his belief in the rebirth of souls. He explained that until bodies are buried and mourned by loved ones, the souls cannot be reborn, and the war continues as long as these souls remain unrested.