Ukraine mourns Oleksiy Yukov, who spent two decades recovering war dead, killed by landmine

Ukraine is mourning the death of Oleksiy Yukov, a man who for roughly two decades dedicated himself to recovering the bodies of soldiers killed in conflict. His work extended beyond Ukrainian troops — he also recovered the remains of many Russian soldiers left on the battlefield.

Yukov was killed while carrying out a recovery mission when he stepped on a landmine. Such missions carry significant risk, as former combat zones are often littered with unexploded ordnance and mines that endanger both military personnel and civilians involved in retrieving the dead.

In Ukraine, Yukov had become known as a "collector of souls," a title reflecting his years of selfless work returning fallen soldiers to their families, regardless of which side they had fought for. His death is being felt as a significant loss within the community engaged in recovering those killed in the war.