Ukraine mourns "collector of souls" Oleksiy Yukov, killed recovering war dead
Oleksiy Yukov, a renowned Ukrainian volunteer known for recovering war dead, was killed by a landmine while on a mission in the Donetsk region. Thousands gathered in Kyiv to honor his legacy of providing closure to families by identifying and recovering fallen soldiers.
Why it matters
His death highlights the extreme dangers faced by humanitarian workers and volunteers operating in active conflict zones to provide dignity to the deceased.
Oleksiy Yukov, a Ukrainian known as the "collector of souls" for his decades-long work recovering the remains of soldiers and civilians on the frontlines of war, was honored in Kyiv on Saturday after being killed by a landmine during a recovery mission in the eastern Donetsk region.
Ukraine invasion — explained Ukraine negotiator: 'We have the upper hand' Yukov, 40, was killed on Aug. 5 when he stepped on the mine during an effort to exhume a body, according to a social media post by his friend, Serhiy Hnezdilov. "This is a great loss for me personally and for the people close to me," he wrote in a translation published by Kyiv Post . "[H]e gave names back to the dead."
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