On December 16, the Ivano-Frankivsk community in the Yavoriv district hosted its first burial ceremony for the unidentified bodies of Ukrainian soldiers who died during the full-scale war. Six fallen defenders were laid to rest at the newly established community cemetery.
A memorial service was held at the Church of Saint Prince Volodymyr, where community members, clergy, and local authorities gathered to honor the fallen with a shared prayer.
This marked the first burial at the new cemetery, which includes a separate section allocated for military personnel. In the future, this area is planned to be transformed into a dedicated memorial space to honor those who gave their lives for Ukraine.
Maksym Fetisov, head of the Veterans Policy Department of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, explained that the decision to hold the burial in this particular community followed prior consultations:
- “We discussed all organizational aspects with the community in advance — cemetery capacity, burial procedures, and available space. The first burial involved six graves. A total of 25 burial spots are allocated in this section. If needed, we will consider other communities in the Lviv region.”
All the bodies underwent required forensic examinations, and the soldiers’ DNA profiles were uploaded to the national database. In the case of an automatic or confirmed match with relatives, a re-identification process is initiated, with the possibility of reburial at the family’s request. There have already been cases where relatives were identified just before the funeral, and the bodies were returned to their loved ones.
Eternal honor and memory to the defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine’s freedom.