A tragedy occurred in the Lyman urban hromada of the Donetsk region, claiming the life of one of the most famous Ukrainian search and recovery specialists. On August 5, 2026, 40-year-old Alexey Yukov, head of the 'Platsdarm' unit, died while carrying out a mission.

According to RBK-Ukraine, the tragic incident occurred as the team was returning from a mission to evacuate remains. The vehicle carrying the unit leader hit a mine. This was confirmed by the deceased's wife, Vadim Lyakh, head of the Slavyansk Military-Civil Administration, and journalists from Suspilne.

A Life's Work

Alexey Yukov was born in Slavyansk. His path into search and recovery began unusually early—at the age of 13. Before the full-scale war, he was involved in searching for the remains of soldiers who died during World War II. With the start of the conflict in 2014, his mission transformed: the unit began evacuating the bodies of both Ukrainian defenders and civilians.

The 'Platsdarm' group became a pioneer in this field, becoming the first organization in Ukraine to work directly on the front line, in hotspots, and immediately after shelling. As early as 2014, Yukov personally participated in the evacuation of the fallen from the battlefield near Ilovaisk. The unit was also involved in evacuating the bodies of Russian soldiers for subsequent exchanges.

A Matter of Honor

For Alexey Yukov, this work was not just a duty, but a matter of conscience. In his statements, he emphasized that returning bodies home was his main calling.

"For me, it is a matter of honor to return the souls lost in these cursed wars. This started for me personally at the age of 13. I think souls want to return home, and they do everything to get back there," the searcher said.

During the full-scale invasion, the team led by Yukov discovered and evacuated approximately two thousand fallen Ukrainian soldiers and deceased civilians. The death of the unit leader was a heavy blow to the community of searchers, who continue their work under conditions of high danger.

Context of Losses

The death of Alexey Yukov comes against the backdrop of overall loss statistics recently announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The head of state reported that since the start of the war, Russia has lost a total of 1.6 million soldiers, of which about 700,000 are killed. According to the Ukrainian leader's estimates, Ukraine's losses amount to about 50,000 killed military personnel and 400,000 wounded.