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Ukraine mourns 'collector of souls' killed recovering war dead : NPR
NPR • • world
Key Points:
- Oleksiy Yukov, known as the "collector of souls" for his decades of work recovering remains of soldiers and civilians, was killed by a landmine on August 5 during a recovery mission in eastern Donetsk.
- Yukov, 40, was honored in Kyiv and his hometown Sloviansk, with thousands attending an Orthodox Christian service to pay their respects.
- Despite losing an eye and sustaining a leg injury in 2022 from a mine blast, Yukov continued his recovery work, founding the Platsdarm group to provide dignified burials for war victims.
- Yukov and his team recovered bodies of both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, as well as civilians, emphasizing the human cost of the conflict and the importance of closure for families.
- He believed that unburied souls cannot find peace, stating that the war will not end as long as souls remain unmoored, highlighting the spiritual significance of his mission.
