GlobalWide News
The Wall Street Journal: In Ukraine, amidst the ongoing war, Morgue No. 4 in an eastern city is overwhelmed by the casualties of the Russian invasion. Forensic pathologist Vitaliy Levchenko utilizes soldiers’ dental records for identification, aiding grieving families in recognizing their lost relatives. Despite the government’s silence on exact figures, the growing number of fresh graves across the country suggests thousands of military deaths, with estimates ranging up to 17,500 by some accounts.
The war’s toll is chronicled by those who labor tirelessly to repatriate fallen soldiers—from volunteers and morgue workers to military chaplains like Rev. Dmytro Povorotniy, who bears the emotional weight of conducting numerous burials. Ukraine’s effort to recover and identify its war dead is supported by both state coordination and private donations, involving a team named “Na Shyti,” meaning “On Their Shield.”
Valentyn Nikonenko, a Baptist pastor and former doctor, joined the volunteer ranks to bring solace to families like his own, still hoping to recover his nephew’s body. Drivers, such as Oleh Repnoi, transport the deceased, attempting to maintain a psychological distance from their grim cargo. In the morgues, pathologists face the harrowing task of identification, often relying on the smallest personal details or rapid DNA testing facilitated by Western aid.
The identified remains are then returned to families for burial, sometimes necessitating mass funerals due to the sheer number of casualties. The Krasnopilske war cemetery in Dnipro, expanded fourfold since Russia’s full-scale invasion, is filled with the graves of soldiers, marked by Ukraine’s national colors and personal memorabilia.
For Povorotniy, the constant confrontation with grief fortifies his belief in Ukraine’s cause, despite the profound tragedy. He envisions no compromise, seeing the continuation of the struggle as a tribute to the fallen.
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