The second funeral of Ukrainian soldier Serhiy Kulyk was held on May 6 in Iziaslav, a town in Khmelnytskyi region, about 800 kilometers west of where he was born, fought, and initially buried. Kulyk, 39, had first been interred in February 2024 near Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, but his remains were later exhumed and transported to the western town for reburial. His family described the second ceremony as similar to the first, though the warmer May weather contrasted with the earlier winter setting. Despite Kulyk never having lived in Iziaslav, residents lined the streets to pay respects as the funeral procession passed, pausing daily life briefly before resuming normal activities.
Kulyk’s case is part of a growing but still limited number of exhumations and reburials of Ukrainian soldiers from frontline cemeteries, notably in the embattled eastern cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. In the spring of 2026, at least four soldiers’ remains were quietly moved from cemeteries close to the front lines, with more permits for such transfers issued since late 2025. These developments come amid intensifying Russian military advances into the Donbas region, a strategically and symbolically critical area targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Families of fallen soldiers face the complex and often bureaucratic process of exhumation, which until recently has largely been their responsibility. Many worry about the security of graves near active combat zones and the risk of damage or desecration. For example, Serhiy Kulyk’s family and the relatives of Mykhailo Alekseenko—a 29-year-old late political science graduate and soldier killed near Sloviansk—have expressed fears about their sons’ original resting places becoming vulnerable due to ongoing fighting.
The practice of relocating soldiers’ remains from battlefield graves is not without historical and ethical precedent. During World War I, Allied powers curtailed private exhumations once the front lines stabilized, favoring burial close to where soldiers fell to maintain collective remembrance and respect. In Ukraine, the commemoration of fallen servicemen and women has become a prominent aspect of state policy and public life since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, including nationwide moments of silence and widespread displays of soldiers’ images.
Despite the growth of these memorial rituals, Ukraine’s government has yet to establish a clear policy on handling the remains of those interred in areas threatened by Russian occupation. Some Ukrainian military and cultural figures have called for structured solutions, such as the creation of a “national pantheon” to house the remains of significant historical and military figures. Vakhtang Kipiani, a veteran serving in a brigade dedicated to reviving Ukrainian military traditions, led a covert 2024 operation to relocate the remains of Danylo Shumuk, a Soviet-era dissident, from an area soon to be captured by Russian forces.
However, Kipiani and others express caution toward broader policies of exhuming modern soldiers’ graves in active war zones. Beyond the logistical challenges, such movements carry symbolic weight, potentially signaling territorial losses and concluding chapters of resistance. Kipiani noted that while civilian evacuations may be seen as temporary precautions, removing soldiers’ remains risks conveying a sense of finality that could negatively affect morale.
As the conflict continues, Ukrainian families and authorities confront difficult choices about how to honor the dead amid shifting front lines, balancing respect for the fallen with the realities of an ongoing war.