(This article contains representations that you may find distressing)
Arthur said it was his job to bring the dead back from oblivion.
Young Ukrainians Artur and Denis have the grueling task of recovering the bodies of civilians and soldiers who died in this brutal war. The targets include not only Ukrainians, but also Russians.
We met them in a region of eastern Ukraine that had recently been liberated from Russian forces. Arthur said their mission was to make sure no bodies were left on the battlefield. The ground is littered with rubble, abandoned trenches and deep bomb pits. Somewhere in the aftermath of the apocalyptic destruction, he was told there were several bodies left.
You can still hear the sounds of battle from afar. 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 awful war.”
Dennis (left) and Artur said they also attended the funeral for the bodies they recovered.
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. Right now, there was a suffocating stench of death. On the floor of the van were maggots 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 scout the area. The search is not only for bodies, but also for clues about mines. One of the same team was recently injured by a landmine. Landmines are an ever-present danger.
Now, before approaching a corpse or relic, throw a hook to flip the corpse. Russian forces have been known to blow up buildings and even dead bodies with explosives before withdrawing.
A Ukrainian military engineer I spoke to the day before said he believed there were around 100,000 mines in the eastern part of the country, recently cleared by Russian forces. The removal will take many years. As a rough estimate, the engineer said it would take five years to clear the mines planted in a year of fighting.
They try to identify the body, even from the severely mutilated corpse. The photo looks like a burnt wedding ring
After flying the drone for about 20 minutes, Arthur and Dennis appear to have spotted a potential location. It was a bombed out building next to a railway siding. The two donned helmets and flak jackets and moved carefully through the rubble.
In the destroyed building, the two found the charred parts of the three bodies. At first it was indistinguishable from burnt wood. Arthur and Dennis slowly found the bones. Sifting carefully through the wreckage, looking for something identifiable.
The bodies they found were Russians, not Ukrainians. Their identification had been destroyed, but they found a charred black Russian military belt buckle.
Small ceramic shards in the armor 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.
The number “200” painted on the van represents that it is carrying the dead.
This delicate task of scraping together every single thing that was once human took several hours.
The bodies recovered in this way are taken to the local morgue.
bury with dignity
Artur said he felt a sense of spiritual relief when the body was recovered, no matter who it was.
“I feel the grace of God when I think the body is finally returning from the war.”
When he finds a Russian corpse, he says, “he clearly understands that the Ukrainian corpse will be exchanged for his own 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 brought back from oblivion.
The two have seen more death than life in the past year. Artur accepts that the experience will one day offend them. But on the other hand, I also say:
“We know we are doing a good job. This gives us some motivation and gives us confidence that the war will be over soon.”
Their work shows that this warfare is more than just physical combat. There is a moral element involved, reflected in the way both armies treat the living and the dead.
