How bones tell stories of missing Ukrainian soldiers
Ukraine has greatly expanded its DNA testing sites to identify the remains of soldiers who have died on the frontlines, and give their families the peace they deserve. We take you inside the labs.
Editor’s Note: War is more than the booms and the bangs. Ukraine is more than just a place where violence is occurring.
Some of the most important stories happen in the silence: the return of bodies, diligent work in quiet labs.
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Inna opened the freezer and took out a zip-lock bag containing rotten bones — potentially, the remains of a Ukrainian soldier who had yet to be identified.
“This one is still in good condition. Before this, we received some from Azovstal, where they were in really bad shape,” said Inna Druchinina, head of the forensic medical laboratory of the Main Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination in Kyiv.
The dozens of bones waiting to be identified are located on the second floor of the morgue. The gut-wrenching odor of death can be smelled even from outside the building.
Previous talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul did not lead to any significant breakthroughs regarding a peace deal. However, they did result in Russia returning around 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers in June — nearly half the total repatriated since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Russia has complicated the identification process by removing organs from bodies, mixing remains from different soldiers in a single bag, and even sending back the bodies of Russian soldiers, violating international law on repatriation.
Identifying bodies has become increasingly important during the war. Families often endure long periods without news from loved ones on the front line, clinging to the faint hope they are still alive. Identification gives the soldier an identity and offers the family closure and the opportunity to say their proper goodbyes.
At the Department of Forensic Immunology, Cytology, and Genetics, the DNA testing of the bodies’ remains takes place — a key moment in the process of identification.
“This is our job, someone has to do it… It has to be precise, balanced, planned, and responsible work… First comes the identification of the body, then everything else,” Tamara Savchenko, acting head of the department..
Tamara and Inna started their career in forensic biology almost 30 years ago. They have been working together at this government department for six years.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, laboratories have been adding DNA testing to their programmes. The number of forensic bureaus grew from five to 19 in 2024.
The bodies of soldiers only started to arrive in April this year, once the renovation and training had been completed.
To this date, the laboratory has identified 50 bodies. About 170 are waiting to be analyzed, and 300 are expected to be delivered.
“The workload is very heavy. We are exhausted, both physically and mentally, and sometimes we work until we can't go on any longer, until we reach the point where we say, ‘That's it, we're not working anymore today,’” Tamara said.
In certain cases, bodies lie exposed on the battlefield for months before being collected, which means the bodies begin to decompose. In these cases, traditional methods of identification via tattoos, fingerprints, dental records, or scars do not work, and they must rely on DNA testing.
The process begins with a general examination of the bodies, where specialists determine the condition in which the bodies were brought in. They collect biomaterial and label it.
Each bag and each piece of body inside it is given a number.
For example, if the bag’s number is 006, the first body part will be tagged as 006-1.
When they receive several pieces in one bag, they often assume there are the remains of different people rather than the fragmented body of just one person.
“The last time we had a maximum of nine items in one bag, nine probable bodies in one bag,” Tamara said.
Tamara and Inna often receive bones that are in poor condition, including charred ones. The chances of obtaining DNA from such samples are very low, they told The Counteroffensive.
The bones are also covered with rot and remnants of human tissue, so they are first washed, soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and then rinsed.
“At first glance, they all crumble in your hands,” Inna said regarding some charred bones they have had to work with.
Once the bone dries, it is cut into smaller pieces, crushed, and turned into powder. The DNA is extracted by mixing the bone powder with reagents, which are components used for DNA detection.
The process does not always work, Inna explained. If the bone is too old or has low DNA concentration, getting a sample might not be possible, she added.
If the process works, the forensic techs obtain the DNA information.
Once the results are ready, they insert the information into a DNA database to look for matches with relatives, Inna explained. They also send their results to the investigator who initially ordered the examination. If there is a match, the investigator files for comparative examination and notifies the family.
Until the bodies are identified, the soldiers will be considered missing in action. During this period, families are holding on to the last remains of hope they have, anticipating that their loved ones might be alive.
Until 2022, Ukraine had a criminal DNA database only, which contained samples collected during forensic investigations. However, amid the war, Ukraine’s parliament passed a law to include all crimes related to the war. In addition, the families of missing soldiers can upload their samples to ensure a more efficient matching process.
In May this year, a database was created for each military unit to upload samples of its soldiers.
Right under Inna and Tamara’s office is the morgue yard, where relatives of soldiers and civilians who died can pick up the bodies. Sometimes, the yard is filled with people, especially after a big airstrike.
In those moments, the women close their curtains. It is too hard to watch.
“We try to leave our emotions there [Tamara pointed to the door]... We try not to talk about it [to their families],” Tamara said.
In addition, Russia has also returned the bodies of Ukrainian people without their organs.
Viktoriia Roshchina’s case is the latest to have made headlines worldwide.
She was a Ukrainian journalist who often traveled to the occupied territories to report from the inside, at great personal risk. In August 2023, during one of the trips, she was arrested, and was considered missing. She was officially recognized as a prisoner of war in May 2024.
She was confirmed dead in October 2024, and her body was returned in February 2025, marked as an “unidentified male.”
Her body was in such poor condition that it was only identified due to DNA matching.
The remains showed signs of torture. The Russians had removed her eyeballs, her brain, and her trachea.
It was grotesque symbolism of Russia’s overarching demand: Putin’s regime wants you to ignore the plain facts that you see, set aside your mind’s rationality, and shut up.
Viktoriia’s life was about doing the opposite.
Due to DNA testing, her friends and family will at least know that she is now finally at rest.
NEWS OF THE DAY:
By: Sofia Konoplytska
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.
UKRAINE FIRST IN EUROPE TO TEST STARLINK DIRECT-TO-CELL: Ukraine has begun testing SpaceX’s Starlink Direct to Cell technology, which turns any 4G smartphone into a satellite terminal without any extra hardware. Kyivstar, the Ukrainian partner operator, plans a public rollout in autumn 2025, making Ukraine the first European country to offer the service.
Officials say the system could ensure nationwide connectivity even in remote areas or during attacks on communications — a critical capability as Russia targets Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. Initial services will allow messaging via apps like WhatsApp by late 2025, with full mobile data access expected in 2026.
COUNTDOWN TO PUTIN-TRUMP SUMMIT: US and Russian officials are racing to finalize plans for Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin — the first meeting between the two leaders in over four years. Security constraints and peak tourist season left Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as the only suitable venue, despite White House concerns about hosting Russia’s president on a US military base.
A private one-on-one session between Trump and Putin is confirmed, underscoring the unpredictability of the talks, although Trump frames it as a low-expectation “listening session.”
Zelenskyy will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today. After that, they will take part in a video conference with European leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Trump.
RUSSIA STEALS MORE GRAIN: The Kremlin plans to increase the amount of grain stolen from occupied regions of Ukraine in its overall harvest, the Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine reports. In June, Russia’s grain sales dropped by 34.5 percent due to drought, sanctions, and limited access to agricultural machinery.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has stolen around 15 million tons of Ukrainian grain, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy. In 2023 and 2024, grain from occupied Ukrainian territories accounted for roughly 3% of Russia’s total harvest.
In the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Russia seizes grain from local farmers, and even the harvest intended for local consumption or sowing is taken away. The Ukrainian grain is mixed with Russian grain before being exported, making it harder to track and allowing Russia to avoid sanctions.
DOG OF WAR:
Today’s Dog of War is this cute dog, whose smile lifted everyone’s spirits. Lisa met this pup while she and her family were having a barbecue in the Kyiv region.
Stay safe out there.
Best,
Nastia.
So not all heroes wield a rifle! To carefully handle & sort human remains, desecrated by the vile Orcs, and to apply modern technology to identify to whom the remains belong, is such painstaking and sensitive work; it takes a particular strength to do this, which will bring heartbreak and comfort in equal measure. Thank you, Anastasia.
I had hoped that this 'summit' would be the time for our golden leader to turn on Putin as he has on most of the people who have helped or supported him. Realistically there is very little Putin can do to help him anymore and whatever kompromat exists is quite devalued by now. The optics revealed make it sound like it will just be another performance appraisal by Putin of his viceroy.