‘Bringing back the dead’: Young people continue to collect bodies in Ukraine – BBC News

We met them in a region of eastern Ukraine that had recently been liberated from Russian forces. Arthur said their mission was to ensure no bodies were left on the battlefield. The ground is littered with rubble, abandoned trenches, and deep bomb pits. Somewhere following an apocalyptic destruction, he was told that several bodies remained.

You can still hear the sounds of battle in the distance. Artur said he knew the job was dangerous, but he was willing to take the risk “because the most important thing is to get the dead out of this horrible war”.

Artur and Dennis opened the door of a white van with a red cross and the number 200 to indicate that they were carrying the dead. At that moment, there was the choking stench of death. On the floor of the van, there was a maggot attached to the previously recovered body.

They were told there were more bodies nearby, but now they have to find the place. Dennis flew a small drone with a camera to explore the area. The search is not only for bodies, but also for clues to mines. One of the same team was recently injured by a land mine. Landmines are an ever-present danger.

Now, before approaching a body or relic, he throws a hook to turn the body over. Russian forces are known to have detonated buildings and even bodies with explosives before retreating.

A Ukrainian military engineer I spoke to the other day said he believed there were about 100,000 mines in the eastern part of the country, recently liberated from Russian forces. Removal will take many years. As a rough estimate, the engineer said it would take five years to clear mines planted in one year of fighting.

After flying the drone for about 20 minutes, Arthur and Dennis seem to have spotted a possible location. It was a bombed out building next to a railway siding. The two donned helmets and body armor and navigated carefully through the rubble.

In the destroyed building, the two found the burnt parts of the three bodies. At first, it was indistinguishable from the burnt out wood. Arthur and Dennis slowly found the bones. Carefully sift through the wreckage, looking for anything recognizable.

The bodies they found were Russian, not Ukrainian. Their identification had been destroyed, but they found a burnt black Russian military belt buckle.

Small ceramic pieces in the body also indicated that the three men were fighting for Russia. Other belongings of the deceased, such as glasses, were also found. These items are carefully placed in body bags along with the remains before being loaded into the couple’s van.

This delicate task of scraping every single thing that was once human took several hours.

The bodies thus recovered are taken to the local mortuary.

Artur said he felt spiritual relief when the body was healed, no matter who it was.

“I feel God’s grace when I think that the body is finally coming back from the war.”

When he finds a Russian body, he said, he “clearly understands that the Ukrainian body will be exchanged for his own body and buried with dignity in Ukraine.” These exchanges between the two countries are mediated by the Red Cross.

Artur and Denis often attend the funerals of Ukrainian soldiers returning from obscurity.

Both have seen more death than life in the past year. Artur accepts that the experience will haunt them one day. But on the other hand, I also say:

“We know we are doing a good job. That gives us a little bit of motivation and gives us faith that the war will be over soon.”

Their work shows that this war is more than just physical combat. There is a moral element involved, which is reflected in the way both armies treat the living and the dead.