KI short logo

Russia-Ukraine War

Forensic medical expert Inga Gerbst in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Jan. 22, 2026.
War

As Ukraine war deaths mount, Kharkiv morgue strains to identify the truth

by Asami Terajima

KHARKIV, KHARKIV OBLAST — A blonde-haired woman walks through a slim pathway between corpses lying against walls and autopsy tables inside Ukraine's oldest morgue. The main autopsy room, connected with two additional rooms and equipped with an elevator to lift the corpses from the basement, is busy with forensic experts like her going through three bodies on the table. One belongs to a Ukrainian soldier, while the other two are civilians — an elderly lady and a middle-aged man. "It's most lik

More from War

NewsLetters

News Feed

KI Insights launches new podcast: Ukraine Insights

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.

Despite wartime reforms, Ukraine’s state-owned company clean-up still misses the mark

Ukraine’s reset of its state-owned companies has won back some of the trust from Western partners after the country’s worst wartime corruption scandal, but critics warn it doesn’t do enough to address the main issue — government interference. State-owned companies, which in Ukraine dominate the energy, banking, and infrastructure sectors, have often become battlegrounds for control of their resources. The country's reformers and international partners favor independent supervisory boards to mit

A general view of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant is seen in Varash, Rivne Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 10, 2023.

Most Popular

Editors' Picks

News Feed