Family of former Mexican Federal Police officer killed on Ukraine frontline faces agonizing wait for his remains
The official report says Mario Alberto Lover is ‘missing in action,’ a formality that hinders the payment of compensation
The family of Mario Alberto Lover Martínez, a former Mexican Federal Police officer, has endured an excruciating wait for his remains after his death on the Ukrainian battlefield. The last communication from Mario to his loved ones came on June 7, 2025, when he called his mother Amalia's birthday from the front line. Mario, an elite soldier in the now-defunct Mexican Federal Police, enlisted in February 2024 to join other foreign volunteers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to combat Russia.
His family relied on a WhatsApp group to keep them informed of his whereabouts and any potential danger he faced. On one occasion, Mario's cousin Ernesto Zárate received a brief report from him, stating he would return to them. In the video he sent, Mario could be seen joining his unit in a joint prayer before embarking on a mission. However, two days later, they received a chilling message from Mario's commander, a Colombian named Dante, informing them of their relative's demise in a border area between the two countries.
The official report, over a year later, lists Mario as "missing in action." His body remained where he fell, and it remains unclear if he was ever recovered. The family still awaits the repatriation of his remains, and there is no guarantee that they will ever receive them.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
