Ukrainian volunteer Oleksiy Yukov, known as the "collector of souls," was killed by a landmine on August 5 while recovering remains in eastern Donetsk. The 40-year-old founder of Platsdarm had dedicated over a decade to locating and dignifiedly burying the dead, including both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers as well as civilians. Despite losing an eye and suffering leg injuries in a 2022 mine blast, he returned to his dangerous work. Thousands gathered for Orthodox memorial services in Kyiv and his hometown of Sloviansk this weekend.
Original Article Source Link:
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/08/nx-s1-5925887/ukraine-mourns-oleksiy-yukov