Ukraine honors its 'collector of souls' volunteer killed while recovering the war dead
- Oleksiy Yukov, a volunteer known for recovering bodies of war victims, was killed in a landmine explosion during a recovery mission.
- A farewell ceremony was held for Yukov at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr in Kyiv, attended by thousands.
- Yukov founded the organization Platsdarm, believing all the dead deserve a proper burial.
- He began his work recovering the dead as a teenager after finding remains from World War II.
Ukraine paid tribute on Saturday to Oleksiy Yukov, a volunteer who spent more than two decades recovering bodies of civilians and soldiers — many of them Russian — killed by war. He was 40.
An Orthodox Christian service was held at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr, in central Kyiv, where thousands of people gathered to pay their respects following his death in a landmine explosion during a recovery mission on Wednesday.
Mourners also gathered at Kyiv’s main Maidan Square, many dropping to their knees as a sign of respect as his casket was brought to the site. Memorial services were also held in other cities.
Yukov founded the organization known as Platsdarm, or Bridgehead, because he believed that all the dead deserve a proper burial. He became known as a “collector of souls.” From the war-torn Donbas region, Yukov was a martial arts instructor.
乌克兰纪念在战斗中恢复战死者遗体的志愿者
乌克兰于周六向奥列克西·尤科夫致敬，这位志愿者在恢复平民和士兵遗体方面工作了超过二十年，其中许多是俄罗斯人。他享年40岁。
在基辅市中心的圣弗拉基米尔大教堂举行了东正教仪式，数千人聚集在此向他致以敬意，此次仪式是在他周三因地雷爆炸而遇难后举行的。
哀悼者还聚集在基辅的独立广场，许多人在他的灵柩被抬到现场时跪下以示尊重。其他城市也举行了追悼仪式。
尤科夫创立了名为Platsdarm（桥头阵地）的组织，因为他相信所有死者都应得到妥善安葬。他被称为“灵魂的收集者”。来自战争蹂躏的顿巴斯地区，尤科夫是一名武术教练。