In a small reception area within a hospital in Dnipro, south-central Ukraine, Viktoria Lants struggled to face the computer screen while a forensic worker showed her photos of the remains stored in the overwhelmed morgue. The images included severely damaged bodies, military attire, and a pocket knife. During the visit to view a body, Lants noticed a wooden cross, similar to one her 31-year-old son, Vladyslav Kharkov, had received from his grandmother before being deployed to the front line. The last time she spoke to him was on August 19, where he reassured her by saying everything would be fine. Kharkov, a former contractor drafted by Ukraine to fight against Russia, is currently listed as missing among tens of thousands of soldiers on the national missing persons registry.
Across the country, morgues are overwhelmed, and forensic experts are working tirelessly to identify the increasing number of deceased individuals, sometimes releasing them for burial before confirmation of their identities. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three and a half years ago, there has been limited information released about the number of soldiers killed by Kyiv or Moscow. Independent Russian media suggest that over 130,000 Russian soldiers have died, a number believed to be significantly higher. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in December 2024 that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, countering claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite failed ceasefire efforts, both sides agreed to mass repatriation of the deceased, resulting in thousands of soldiers’ remains being transported back to Ukraine.
In a heartbreaking scenario, Lants and her daughter-in-law entered a refrigerated unit at the morgue to identify her son, with Lants returning visibly shaken. While she believes the body she saw was her son due to a visible mole, DNA test results are pending, causing her anguish over the possibility of an unwanted outcome. The International Committee of the Red Cross is supporting forensic investigations in Ukraine to enhance capabilities in handling the toll of the ongoing conflict.
At a forensic lab in Dnipro, efforts to identify remains from the front line involve examining bone fragments to determine their origin. Valerii Viun emphasized the importance of dignified burials for all individuals and the need to prevent anonymous burials. However, due to space constraints in storage facilities, unidentified soldiers are interred in a section of a cemetery in Dnipro with temporary markers. Viun described the emotional toll of his work, highlighting the profound impact on families and the difficulty of confirming identities, especially in cases where families cling to hope of their loved ones being alive.
As the conflict continues, Viun anticipates ongoing challenges in identifying recovered remains and anticipates a surge in the identification process once the war concludes, projecting a prolonged period of demanding work ahead.