In a military cemetery in Kyiv, a brother and sister traverse the rows of crosses, bearing a bouquet of carnations.

Each cross in this section is inscribed with the identical epitaph: “unknown defender of Ukraine,” accompanied by an identification number below and a notation that the process of identification remains ongoing.

Among the graves, one is particularly conspicuous: affixed beneath the epitaph is a photograph, added posthumously, depicting Ihor Yalynych—a soldier last seen alive in the Kharkiv region in 2022.

Following four years of relentless searching, Stanislav and Oleksandra Yalynych ultimately located their father.

The identification of the deceased constitutes a reckoning that will persist for years, ranking among the most enduring wounds inflicted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Some graves may remain perpetually anonymous, leaving families condemned to an indefinite wait.

For the greater part of the conflict, there existed no designated site for the interment of the unidentified deceased.

The cadavers were retained in refrigerated storage whilst the national military cemetery remained under construction.

Even prior to the cemetery’s completion in January, the inaugural cohort of unknown soldiers had already been laid to rest the preceding August.

Over three hundred now repose beneath numbered crosses, with additional graves currently being excavated.

"I was unequivocally a daddy's girl, and I found the loss profoundly difficult to bear," stated Oleksandra Yalynych, 21.

"Throughout these four years, my sole desire was to come and sit with him, to converse.... Now, I am relieved that we have located him. Now, I have a destination to which I can go."

Ihor Yalynych met his demise in April 2022 in eastern Ukraine, having served in the military since 2015, the year subsequent to the eruption of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia's illicit annexation of Crimea.

Upon the initiation of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, he was assigned to a brigade stationed in eastern Ukraine.

Having emerged unscathed from his inaugural mission and forwarded photographs to his son, he subsequently failed to return from his ensuing assignment.

After weeks of silence, Stanislav posted on social media that his father was missing.

An acquaintance had identified Ihor Yalynych among nine soldiers in Ukrainian uniform, shot and lying in a row, in a photograph on a Russian Telegram channel.

Upon seeing the image, Stanislav knew his father was among them.

The National Police of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region has confirmed to the Associated Press that an investigation is currently underway concerning the deaths of a cohort of Ukrainian servicemen, whose remains were discovered in the region in April 2022, as well as into the subsequent process of their identification.

Ihor’s remains lay interred in the occupied sector of the region, yet were only retrieved following the territory’s liberation in September 2022.

The family was compelled to navigate a labyrinthine bureaucratic apparatus, inclusive of DNA verification, before they could secure the return of his body—a process that spanned four years.

“Had the police not mislaid the case, the process might have been expedited,” Stanislav remarked.

He contended that the dossier was transmitted to the Mykolaiv regional police—his father’s place of origin—where it languished unprocessed for over two years.

In response to a written inquiry from the Associated Press, the Mykolaiv police did not address the family’s assertion regarding a missing file or procedural delay, stating only that no criminal proceedings had been initiated concerning Ihor’s identification.

Owing to the absence of the file, Stanislav was only permitted to provide a DNA sample for comparative analysis approximately six months ago, with the subsequent match being confirmed two months thereafter.

At a Ukrainian military funeral, the flag draping the coffin is meticulously folded and presented to the bereaved family.

However, when there is no one to receive the flag of an unknown soldier, the state assumes this solemn duty, accepting each flag and retaining it until the soldier can be identified, as articulated by Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova.

“Paying homage to an individual who sacrifices their life in service to their nation is, above all, an existential necessity for those who endure,” she articulated.

“It is thus that we apprehend the magnitude of the sacrifice exacted for sovereignty — in our case, for our nation’s — for the prerogative to determine our own trajectory and uphold democracy within this land.”

Of those initially interred as unidentified, three have subsequently been identified, she stated.

A contributing factor to the proliferation of unidentified soldiers stems from the invasion's inception, Kalmykova explained.

Those who enlisted during the initial years were not obligated to provide DNA specimens, consequently, no repository existed; such a database was only established subsequently.

According to a senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, approximately half of Ukraine's armed forces have now furnished samples.

In instances where no sample exists within the database, identification necessitates the voluntary participation of a close relative; however, many are precluded from doing so, as they reside in occupied territories, are abroad, are estranged, remain unaware of the situation, or have simply vanished.

Since the commencement of the full-scale invasion, over 40,000 biological samples extracted from unidentified human remains have been catalogued, according to Ruslan Abbasov, the deputy director of the State Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The vast majority of these have since been correlated with a subset of the 170,000 samples obtained from relatives.

According to Abbasov, identification frequently extends beyond the confines of the laboratory, prompting investigators to pursue alternative methods of obtaining an individual's DNA, such as searching an apartment or personal effects they have left behind.

Upon the interment of an unidentified corpse, a numerical identifier is deposited within the coffin, replicated on its exterior, and engraved upon the cross marking the grave.

A corresponding registry meticulously documents the association between each number and its respective body, thereby enabling the precise location of the grave upon a successful match between the number and its corresponding DNA profile.

Remains are exhumed directly from the theatre of conflict and repatriated via Russian authorities.

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has repatriated 24,805 bodies, as per the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Pockets may occasionally contain passports, military identification cards, or driver's licenses.

Nevertheless, DNA testing remains indispensable, as there is no certainty that the documents belong to the body with which they are discovered.

Maksym Paziura, a forensic medical examiner, indicated that in certain instances, the remains of multiple individuals are intermingled within a single bag, thereby impeding even the process of obtaining a DNA sample.

The majority of the bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition.

His facility in the Kyiv region processes between 15 and 20 cadavers daily, preserving them under refrigeration pending identification or interment.

He noted that the operational volume has increased approximately fivefold relative to peacetime levels.

“Even were the conflict to cease, an immense volume of work would remain,” Paziura stated.

“Identification constitutes an arduous, protracted endeavor, and it will not conclude when hostilities end.”

For families, identification transcends mere closure; until a death is formally confirmed, relatives are unable to settle an inheritance, remarry, or claim the compensation owed to the families of the fallen.

Abbasov drew attention to the Western Balkans, where the identification of remains continues apace, long after the cessation of hostilities in the region.

Ukraine, he asserted, will prove no different.

Upon beholding his father’s photograph adorning the grave, a profound sense of relief suffused Stanislav Yalynych.

“Henceforth, it shall not be solely we who are cognizant of our father’s interment there,” he remarked.

Since the photograph was disseminated, strangers have paused to inquire about him.

For Stanislav, this signifies that his father’s sacrifice was not in vain, and his legacy shall endure.