# Death of Ukrainian recovery volunteer Oleksiy Yukov

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/death-of-ukrainian-recovery-volunteer-oleksiy-yukov
> Updated: 2026-08-16T06:18:53.000Z. Sources: 27. Developments: 2.

Oleksiy Yukov, the 40-year-old founder and leader of the search and rescue unit Platsdarm (also referred to as ‘Operations Base’), was killed by a landmine on August 5 during a recovery mission in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Yukov, known as a ‘collector of souls,’ dedicated his work to locating and identifying the remains of both Ukrainian and Russian service members to ensure dignified burials and provide closure to families. Despite having previously survived a mine blast that resulted in the loss of an eye and leg injuries, he continued his frontline duties using drones and metal detectors to survey dangerous territories.

Following his death, funeral services were held in Kyiv at the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr and Maidan Square. His family has pledged to continue his mission of recovering fallen soldiers and identifying the deceased.

## Claims

- Oleksij Yukow died on August 5. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Yukow led an organization called Plazdarm. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The Plazdarm organization focused on recovering the bodies of fallen soldiers from both sides of the conflict. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Yukow's work included searching for identification documents and personal items to return names to the deceased. (corroborated by 7 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: Oleksij Yukow, leader of soldier recovery group Plazdarm, has died

Oleksij Yukow, leader of the recovery organization Plazdarm, died on August 5. He was known for identifying fallen soldiers from both sides to return their names to their families.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/oleksij-yukow-leader-of-soldier-recovery-group-plazdarm-has-died

### 2026-08-08: Oleksiy Yukov, Ukrainian 'collector of souls,' killed by landmine

Ukraine mourns Oleksiy Yukov, leader of the Platsdarm search unit, who was killed by a landmine while recovering war dead in the Donetsk region.

17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/oleksiy-yukov-volunteer-recovering-war-dead-honored-in-kyiv

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Cite as: Death of Ukrainian recovery volunteer Oleksiy Yukov. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/death-of-ukrainian-recovery-volunteer-oleksiy-yukov