DNA Test Mistake: Soldier Declared Dead is Identified After Returning Alive from Captivity

Exhumation of Nazar Daletskyi

According to Главком: The remains of a soldier, previously identified as the fallen Nazar Daletskyi, were exhumed in the village of Velykyi Doroshiv, Lviv region. This action was taken after Daletskyi himself returned alive from Russian captivity. Nazar Daletskyi is a serviceman of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo and had been missing since September 2022. He was repatriated as part of a prisoner exchange on February 5, 2026.

Errors in Identification

The initial DNA analysis, which produced a false result and led to the misidentification, was conducted in Kharkiv. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has acknowledged the DNA test error and opened a criminal investigation in Kharkiv. A ministry representative, Leonid Tymchenko, stated they would thoroughly examine this case and review all expert examinations based on the materials submitted for burial. He stressed the critical importance of preventing similar mistakes in the future.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine refuted rumors that it had demanded the return of financial aid from Daletskyi's family, which had drawn further attention to the situation. The prisoner exchange that secured his return was part of a larger effort that brought home 157 Ukrainians, most of whom had been in captivity since 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the significance of this exchange, emphasizing ongoing efforts to maintain an exchange fund and repatriate Ukrainians from Russia.

The case of Nazar Daletskyi underscores serious systemic issues in identifying fallen soldiers, with profound consequences for grieving families. Such misidentification causes immense emotional distress and raises serious questions about the reliability of current procedures. This incident occurs against the backdrop of a brutal war where accurate casualty reporting is both a logistical challenge and a profound moral responsibility. At the same time, the successful prisoner exchange that returned Daletskyi demonstrates the Ukrainian government's active efforts to bring its citizens home, a crucial factor for national morale during the ongoing conflict.