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ConflictsUkraine

Identifying dead Ukrainian soldiers returned from Russia

Rebecca Ritters in Odesa, Ukraine
February 2, 2026

In Odesa, forensic teams work in converted train cars to identify fallen soldiers. Many arrive unnamed, yet experts document every clue and run DNA tests to match them with families. Warning: This video contains distressing images.

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In Odesa, forensic teams work in converted train cars to identify fallen Ukrainian soldiers returned from Russia. Many arrive unnamed and decomposed, yet experts document every clue and run DNA tests to match them with families. Only 700 of 3,000 bodies in the region have been identified so far — offering closure to relatives like Yuliia, who spent a year searching for her missing husband.

Rebecca Ritters stands in a street in the West Bank with a bullet proof vest on that says "press"
Rebecca Ritters DW correspondent and news anchor currently covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories.rebeccaritters