Honoring Oleksiy Yukov: A Hero in Ukraine’s War Efforts

Ukrainian soldiers carried the coffin of Oleksiy Yukov during his funeral at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv. Yukov, head of the Ukrainian Platsdarm search unit, was mourned on Saturday following his death by a landmine in the eastern Donetsk region.

Known as the ‘collector of souls,’ Yukov’s life was dedicated to recovering remains of soldiers and civilians from the war’s frontlines. He lost his life on August 5 while exhuming a body, a significant blow to his friends and the many who admired his work. Thousands attended his Orthodox Christian service in Kyiv, and he was earlier mourned in his hometown of Sloviansk in Donetsk province.

“This is a great loss for me personally and for the people close to me,” said his friend, Serhiy Hnezdilov, as translated by Kyiv Post. “[H]e gave names back to the dead.”

Yukov was committed to offering closure to families affected by the war. In 2022, he survived severe injuries from a mine blast, losing an eye and injuring his leg. Despite his condition, he quickly returned to continue his mission.

Yukov’s passion for this work began as a teenager. He focused on uncovering remains from WWII battlefields in Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 spurred him to establish Platsdarm, a group dedicated to finding and providing respectful burials for the deceased.

Under Yukov’s leadership, the group recovered Ukrainian soldiers, Russian soldiers, and civilians caught in the conflict. His work earned him the nickname ‘collector of souls.’

In an interview, Yukov detailed the group’s meticulous process. Members surveyed areas with drones before using probes and metal detectors to find mines. Bomb disposal experts were brought in to neutralize threats. Only then would Platsdarm carefully search for bodies.

Yukov’s perspective on the conflict highlighted the humanitarian response required even amid adversity. Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, he described Russia’s actions as bringing immense grief yet emphasized the need to collect their military dead as a testament to maintaining humanity.

An award-winning documentary, Ukraine’s Frontline Sacrifice, explored Platsdarm’s efforts and Yukov’s belief in reincarnation. Yukov suggested that until bodies were properly buried, their souls would wander, preventing rebirth and prolonging the war’s suffering.