Ukrainians Dig Out Remains Of Russian Soldiers While Under Fire in Donetsk Region (Video)

In eastern Ukraine, a small team of Ukrainian volunteers carries out a harrowing task: recovering the remains of Russian soldiers from active and recently contested frontlines. Risking their lives amid landmines, drones, and ongoing shelling, they carry out the grim work of searching for bodies, often in areas still riddled with danger. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service followed Oleksiy Yukov and his team in the town of Krasnopillya as they recover the bodies of Russian soldiers left behind during a failed assault. The exhumation process is difficult and dangerous — scattered remains, animal interference, and unsafe terrain make each operation unpredictable. The volunteers are not only digging for bodies but also preparing them for possible repatriation or exchanges for Ukrainian soldiers who died in Russian-occupied territory. As they work, they look for clues — small personal items, crosses, or remnants of uniforms — that may help identify the found individuals.