Military archaeologist Oleksii Yukov named Hero of Ukraine

Oleksii Yukov, a military archaeologist from Sloviansk, has been posthumously honored with the prestigious Hero of Ukraine title. This recognition came as a result of a presidential decree issued on August 21, following a petition that gathered over 25,000 signatures. Yukov's citation highlighted his civic courage during defense activities, his outstanding contributions to preserving the memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders, and his selfless service to the Ukrainian people.

Yukov met his fate on August 5, 2026, when the vehicle he was returning from a mission struck a mine near Lyman. He was 40 years old at the time of his death. Born in Sloviansk, Yukov dedicated 27 years of his life to locating the remains of fallen and missing service members. Prior to 2014, the Platsdarm Association of Military-Historical Heritage Researchers, which he founded, concentrated on finding, exhuming, and reburial of soldiers killed during World War I and World War II.

However, with the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Yukov and his team shifted their focus to searching for the bodies of fallen Ukrainian and Russian service members, as well as civilians, along the front line. They then evacuated these remains from combat zones. The Platsdarm Association successfully recovered nearly 4,000 bodies during their efforts.