🇬🇧 THE MAN WHO RETURNED NAMES TO THE FALLEN
Oleksiy Yukov was born on September 9, 1985, in Sloviansk and remained closely connected to his hometown throughout his life. From childhood, he was passionate about sports; he became a master of sports in Muay Thai, founded the «Boets» (Fighter) club, coached children, and headed local sports federations. At the same time, he had been interested in history and research since he was a child.
At age 13, he saw a World War II battlefield for the first time, where the remains of fallen soldiers lay abandoned and looted. It was then that he realized this should not be the case. Since then, he has been searching for and reburying the fallen — first those who died in the world wars, and since 2014, Ukrainian soldiers who gave their lives in the Donbas.
He founded the search organization «Platsdarm», worked with the humanitarian mission «Black Tulip», and after 2022 continued this work with his own team. Despite constant shelling, the danger of landmines, and the threat of drone attacks, they evacuated more than 1,500 bodies. Among them were Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, and fallen soldiers of the enemy army. For Oleksiy, the most important thing was to restore each victim’s name and ensure they could be buried.
Oleksiy was a straightforward, principled man, unwavering in his mission. He said that he was restoring not only bodies but also human dignity. In 2014, he was nearly shot by militants of the so-called «dnr» (the Moscow-backed "donetsk people’s republic" puppet regime); he later lost an eye, but this did not cause him to abandon his cause. Beyond his search efforts, he continued to serve as a coach, mentoring young people, and lived and worked in his hometown of Sloviansk until the very end.
His life served as an example of how human dignity and respect for the memory of the fallen can be stronger than fear. He did not seek fame or awards, although he was honored with the «Golden Heart» award. For him, this was not a profession, but a matter of honor and a personal duty.
On August 5, 2026, Oleksiy Yukov was killed while conducting exhumation work near Lyman, carrying out the mission to which he had dedicated a significant part of his life.
Honor and glory!
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