LUGANSK, April 1. /TASS/. People from across Russia are providing DNA samples to identify victims of Ukrainian aggression whose remains lie in mass and unmarked graves in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), the region’s human rights commissioner, Anna Soroka, told TASS.

"DNA samples are being collected throughout Russia. <…> This effort is being handled by the Investigative Committee. People may also approach the Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically its criminal investigation department for locating missing persons and unidentified bodies, where they can submit their requests. Police officers then forward the information to the Investigative Committee if they determine that the individual’s disappearance is linked to the war," she said.

At least two major burial sites containing residents of the republic who perished due to Kiev’s aggression in 2022 remain in the LPR, located near the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. In several municipalities across the region, the remains of individuals who died as a result of Kiev’s use of chemical weapons are still buried under the rubble of residential buildings.

Currently, efforts to recover remains in the LPR are underway in the municipal district of Severodonetsk, where the remains of 12 individuals were recovered the previous day. The work is being conducted under the supervision of the Interagency Working Group for locating burial sites of victims of Ukrainian aggression, identifying them, and commemorating their memory.