Thousands of Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv on Saturday to pay their final respects to Oleksiy Yukov, a prominent volunteer who spent more than two decades recovering the bodies of soldiers and civilians killed in war. Yukov, who was 40 years old, died on Aug. 5 when he stepped on a landmine in the eastern Donetsk region during an effort to exhume a body.
Ukraine Mourns Oleksiy Yukov After Fatal Landmine Explosion
Often referred to as the collector of souls,
Yukov founded the search unit known as Platsdarm, or Bridgehead (news.wfsu.org). Through this organization, he and his team worked tirelessly across mine-laden fields, forests, ruins, and frontlines to provide dignified burials for the dead. His death prompted an outpouring of grief across the nation, with memorial services held in his hometown of Sloviansk in Donetsk province before moving to the capital.
A Lifetime Dedicated to Recovering the War Dead
Yukov’s journey began in his teens when he developed an interest in searching for remains on World War II battlefields in Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, he formally established Platsdarm. Originally a martial arts instructor from the war-torn Donbas region, Yukov dedicated his life to bringing closure to grieving families.
Operating in dangerous environments required meticulous precision. According to profiles of his work, Yukov and a small group of volunteers would set off early each morning to survey safe areas with drones, check trenches and craters, and carefully search grids using probes and metal detectors alongside bomb disposal experts.
The dangers of the mission were personal and constant. In 2022, Yukov lost an eye and sustained a leg injury in a previous mine blast. Despite still recovering from those injuries, he returned directly to the frontlines. In a social media post last month, he described the hostile landscape of remote mines, shelling, and drones, writing, you go and do everything to ensure that every soul returns home
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Honoring All Fallen Soldiers and Civilians
Platsdarm’s mission uniquely extended beyond recovering Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Yukov and his team also recovered the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in the conflict. Rejecting the sentiment to leave opposing soldiers where they fell, Yukov maintained that every individual deserved dignity, stating, When they say: ‘Let them rot,’ I do not agree. This is how we fight for every soul
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Months into the full-scale war that began in February 2022, Yukov explained his humanitarian philosophy to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, noting that while Russia caused tremendous grief and ruined cities, we remain human even in these circumstances and gather their military’s dead bodies
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A Nation’s Tribute and a Family’s Promise
On Saturday, mourners filled central Kyiv, gathering at Maidan Square where many dropped to their knees as Yukov’s casket was brought to the site. An Orthodox Christian service was subsequently held at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr.
During the funeral, Yukov’s widow, Evhenyia Kaluhyna, stood over his open casket and vowed to carry on his hazardous mission. The work was difficult and terrifying,
she said, sobbing in an embroidered white dress. But I promise you we will continue it because the [dead] deserve it, and you deserve it for everything you did
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His daughter, Diana Kaluhyna, reflected on the broader impact of his life’s work for The Associated Press. What stayed with me today was the simple truth: he honored the dead and healed the living,
she said. He offered more than hope, he restored people
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