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New Straits Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Ukrainians' painful wait for news of loved ones
VOLODYMYR Umanets, a 69-year-old security guard, hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia, but he knows he could be part of a more sombre homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Not knowing which group his son, Sergiy, will be in is a torment. "I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do?" said Umanets, as tears welled up in his eyes. Last week, Russia and Ukraine began implementing a deal reached at June 2 peace talks in Istanbul to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also a huge number of human remains. Alongside the joyful scenes of soldiers returning home and hugging loved ones, there have been macabre images of men dressed in hazmat suits transferring body bags from refrigerated trucks. Russia said it planned to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this phase of the exchange. So far last week, it said it transferred 1,212 sets of remains, while Ukraine said it handed over the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Sergiy, 49, served in the army as a younger man and volunteered to rejoin shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He was serving in the Ukrainian military in southeastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. His father, who works as a security guard in the town hall in Bucha, outside Kyiv, said he still hoped Sergiy was alive, and that he was captured by the Russian side. But he acknowledged the possibility that his son might have been killed. He gave authorities a sample of his DNA so that if Sergiy's remains are recovered, he can be identified. "You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information," he said. "I read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this." Each side has been handing over soldiers' remains periodically throughout the conflict, but the swap now underway is of an unprecedented scale. For Ukraine, the repatriation of the remains marks the start of a long and painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died and to notify their families. The task is made more complicated because sometimes the returned soldiers were killed in explosions so their bodies are in fragments, according to Djordje Alempijevic, a professor of forensic science at Belgrade University who helped examine the remains of people killed in conflicts in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. An added complication, he said, was that some of the remains had been stored for a long time, and they degraded, even if kept in refrigeration. In the best-case scenario, the bodies were returned with some documents to help identification, said Dmytro Hapchenko, a local council official in Bucha who has worked on remains of people killed in the war. But he said that does not always happen. In fact, Ukraine has alleged that Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in previous repatriations of remains, Russia handed over bodies to Ukraine that were actually dead Russian soldiers. Russia, in response, has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, stranding trucks with human bodies on the Russian side of the border, a claim denied by Ukraine. Absent any identifying documents for the returned remains, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy, said Alempijevic. He said they looked for features like old bone fractures, dental characteristics and metal plates or screws from old surgeries. Alempijevic, a member of the United Nations Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, said autopsies also allowed pathologists to look for evidence of a war crime. Hapchenko, the Bucha city official, said he was supporting families from his area whose loved ones went missing in the fighting. "Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them," he said. Referring to the repatriation of fallen soldiers now underway, he said: "Maybe now they'll be able to bury them."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Painful wait for Ukrainians to learn if returned bodies are loved ones
STORY: Sixty-nine-year-old Volodymyr Umanets hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia. But he knows he could be part of a more somber homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. ''I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do? To wait. The hope is still there.'' His 49-year-old son Sergiy, was serving in the Ukrainian military in south-eastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. He has given authorities a sample of his DNA so if his remains are recovered, he can be identified. ''You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information. I have read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this.'' Russia and Ukraine have begun handing over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also plans to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers. It starts a painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died, and to notify their families. Professor of Forensic Science at Belgrade University Djordje Alempijevic says the remains will have degraded because they have been stored for a long time. In the best case scenario, the bodies are returned with some documents to help identification, but it is not always the case. Absent any identifying documents, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy. "It requires facilities, it requires X-ray machinery, it requires experts, it requires proper documentation, handling of documents, databases. I mean, it's it's not easy, but it's doable." :: May 13, 2022 Ukraine has alleged Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. Russia has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, a claim Kyiv denies.
NDTV
13-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Ukrainians Painfully Wait To Learn If Loved Ones Are Among Returned Bodies
Bucha, Ukraine: Volodymyr Umanets, a 69-year-old security guard, hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia, but he knows he could be part of a more sombre homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Not knowing which group his son, Mr Sergiy, will be in is a torment. "I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do?" said Mr Umanets, as tears welled up in his eyes. This week Russia and Ukraine began implementing a deal reached at June 2 peace talks in Istanbul to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also a huge number of human remains. Alongside the joyful scenes of soldiers returning home and hugging loved ones, there have been macabre images of men dressed in hazmat suits transferring body bags from refrigerated trucks. Russia said it plans to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this phase of the exchange. So far this week, it said it transferred 1,212 sets of remains, while Ukraine said it handed over the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Volodymyr Umanets's son Mr Sergiy, 49, served in the army as a younger man and volunteered to rejoin shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He was serving in the Ukrainian military in south-eastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. His father, who works as a security guard in the town hall in Bucha, outside Kyiv, said he still hopes Sergiy is alive, and that he was captured by the Russian side. But he acknowledged the possibility that his son may have been killed. He gave authorities a sample of his DNA so that if Sergiy's remains are recovered, he can be identified. "You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information," he said. "I read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this." Each side has been handing over soldiers' remains periodically throughout the conflict, but the swap now underway is of an unprecedented scale. PAINSTAKING PROCESS For Ukraine, the repatriation of the remains marks the start of a long and painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died, and to notify their families. The task is made more complicated because sometimes the returned soldiers were killed in explosions so their bodies are in fragments, according to Djordje Alempijevic, a professor of forensic science at Belgrade University who helped examine the remains of people killed in conflicts in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. An added complication, he said, is that some of the remains have been stored for a long time, and they degrade, even if kept in refrigeration. In the best case scenario, the bodies are returned with some documents to help identification, said Dmytro Hapchenko, a local council official in Bucha who has worked on remains of people killed in the war. But he said that does not always happen. In fact, Ukraine has alleged that Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters that in previous repatriations of remains, Russia handed over bodies to Ukraine that were actually dead Russian soldiers. Russia, in response, has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, stranding trucks with human bodies on the Russian side of the border, a claim denied by Ukraine. Absent any identifying documents for the returned remains, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy, said Mr Alempijevic. He said they look for features like old bone fractures, dental characteristics, and metal plates or screws from old surgeries. Mr Alempijevic, member of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, said autopsies also allowed pathologists to look for evidence of a war crime. Ukrainian prosecutors have alleged some Ukrainian soldiers were tortured in captivity, or summarily executed, and they are preparing criminal prosecutions. Russia has denied those allegations. Hapchenko, the Bucha city official, said he was supporting families from his area whose loved ones went missing in the fighting. "Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them," he said. Referring to the repatriation of fallen soldiers now underway, he said: "Maybe now they'll be able to bury them."
The Star
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Ukrainians face painful wait to learn if loved ones are among returned bodies
BUCHA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Volodymyr Umanets, a 69-year-old security guard, hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia, but he knows he could be part of a more sombre homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Not knowing which group his son, Sergiy, will be in is a torment. 'I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do?' said Umanets, as tears welled up in his eyes. This week Russia and Ukraine began implementing a deal reached at June 2 peace talks in Istanbul to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also a huge number of human remains. Alongside the joyful scenes of soldiers returning home and hugging loved ones, there have been macabre images of men dressed in hazmat suits transferring body bags from refrigerated trucks. Russia said it plans to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this phase of the exchange. So far this week, it said it transferred 1,212 sets of remains, while Ukraine said it handed over the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Volodymyr Umanets's son Sergiy, 49, served in the army as a younger man and volunteered to rejoin shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He was serving in the Ukrainian military in south-eastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. His father, who works as a security guard in the town hall in Bucha, outside Kyiv, said he still hopes Sergiy is alive, and that he was captured by the Russian side. But he acknowledged the possibility that his son may have been killed. He gave authorities a sample of his DNA so that if Sergiy's remains are recovered, he can be identified. 'You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information,' he said. 'I read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this.' Each side has been handing over soldiers' remains periodically throughout the conflict, but the swap now underway is of an unprecedented scale. PAINSTAKING PROCESS For Ukraine, the repatriation of the remains marks the start of a long and painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died, and to notify their families. The task is made more complicated because sometimes the returned soldiers were killed in explosions so their bodies are in fragments, according to Djordje Alempijevic, a professor of forensic science at Belgrade University who helped examine the remains of people killed in conflicts in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. An added complication, he said, is that some of the remains have been stored for a long time, and they degrade, even if kept in refrigeration. In the best case scenario, the bodies are returned with some documents to help identification, said Dmytro Hapchenko, a local council official in Bucha who has worked on remains of people killed in the war. But he said that does not always happen. In fact, Ukraine has alleged that Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters that in previous repatriations of remains, Russia handed over bodies to Ukraine that were actually dead Russian soldiers. Russia, in response, has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, stranding trucks with human bodies on the Russian side of the border, a claim denied by Ukraine. Absent any identifying documents for the returned remains, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy, said Alempijevic. He said they look for features like old bone fractures, dental characteristics, and metal plates or screws from old surgeries. Alempijevic, member of the UNSubcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, said autopsies also allowed pathologists to look for evidence of a war crime. Ukrainian prosecutors have alleged some Ukrainian soldiers were tortured in captivity, or summarily executed, and they are preparing criminal prosecutions. Russia has denied those allegations. Hapchenko, the Bucha city official, said he was supporting families from his area whose loved ones went missing in the fighting. 'Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them,' he said. Referring to the repatriation of fallen soldiers now underway, he said: 'Maybe now they'll be able to bury them.' (Additional reporting by Sergiy Karazy; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
23-05-2025
- Politics
Thousands brave heavy rain to protest Serbia's crackdown on universities
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Thousands of protesters braved a rainstorm in the Serbian capital on Friday to join a rally against a government crackdown on universities that have played a key role in months-long anti-corruption protests that continue to pressure the Balkan country's populist government. The protesters gathered outside the Serbian government building in downtown Belgrade demanding that the authorities revoke measures brought so far against protesting university professors and deans, and abolish plans to change education laws they say would scrap the autonomy of the state-run universities. University students, backed by their professors, have led massive protests that started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbia's north in November, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy on alleged widespread government corruption that they say fueled negligence and flawed work on the station building renovation. The populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the students and university professors of allegedly working for unspecified Western powers to oust the government and 'destroy' Serbia. Vucic formally wants Serbia to join the EU but critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms while boosting ties with China and Russia. Vucic has so far dismissed a student demand for an early election as the way out of a months-long political crisis. Serbia's protesting universities across four main cities on Thursday received support from the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas who met with student representatives and said afterwards that 'the autonomy of the universities must be respected.' The government has cut salaries for the protesting professors and threatened to defund state-run faculties where classes have been suspended for six months. Authorities are also reportedly working on a new law that professors say would pave the way for the government to appoint faculty deans, effectively abolishing university autonomy. Vladan Djokic, the head dean of Belgrade University, has been questioned by police and accused of abusing his position. Student protesters, meanwhile, have faced attacks by pro-government loyalists and pressure from police and state security. 'Authorities have shown that they are ready to destroy higher education in Serbia in order to stay in power,' sociology professor Marija Babovic told the crowd. 'Higher education and universities are now more endangered than ever in recent history.' Serbia's protesting students have been seeking accountability for the deaths of 16 people in Novi Sad on Nov. 1 and the respect of the rule of law in Serbia. With their call for justice, the students have garnered huge support, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to their protests and shaking Vucic's tight grip on power.
