Unknown graves, forgotten lives: will the world’s first digital map help in the search for the dead and missing?
War always leaves a trail of blood and destruction in its wake, but the worst of all are the lives that disappear in silence, beyond the headlines. The mass death and the number of missing during military conflicts is something that is often talked about cautiously or completely silent. The true scale of tragedies usually remains unknown to the general public, hidden behind casualty statistics and nameless numbers. But behind every such number there is a human life that was cut short by a violent death — in the trenches, under the ruins of houses, in the cold ground of mass graves. These tragedies remain invisible to the world, especially when the perpetrators continue to rule the territories where the bodies of innocent victims are buried, or when political narratives are aimed at denying such events. For the families of the missing, this is an unbearable pain, because they are left without answers and without hope for justice. However, British scientists from Bournemouth University have taken a step forward in the fight for memory and truth by creating the world’s first digital map of mass graves, which has an open source code and is designed not only to perpetuate the memory of the dead, but also to help bring war criminals to justice criminals
Mass burials: silent witnesses of war and tragedies
Mass graves are not just silent places where millions of people are buried, they are painful reminders of human loss. Wars, genocides and political repressions have left their mark in the form of these burials in every corner of the world. According to the UN, “there is no region in the world, no historical period, where there were no mass burials.” This underlines the global nature of the problem: from ancient conflicts to modern wars and genocides, mass burials continue to witness terrible crimes that have left their traces in different eras and on all continents.
For Ukraine, which is currently going through one of the most difficult stages of its modern history, the issue of mass burials has become extremely urgent. During the full-scale war unleashed by Russia, our country faced numerous cases of mass burials. One of the most high-profile cases was the Bucha tragedy – in the area of the city of Bucha, law enforcement officers discovered 1,137 bodies of dead Ukrainians, of which 461 bodies were found directly in the city itself, many of them were found in mass graves or dumped on the street. One of the most terrible testimonies of mass murders was a mass grave near the church of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, where 73 bodies were exhumed in 2022. The mayor of Buchi, Anatoly Fedoruk, reported that only 167 people were identified out of 403 bodies of civilians killed by Russian troops during the occupation. This is not the only case: similar graves were discovered in the cities of Izyum, Mariupol and other settlements where hostilities continued or Russian occupation temporarily prevailed.
According to the UN and Ukrainian human rights defenders, the number of people who went missing during the war to date is estimated at tens of thousands. Many of these people may be buried in such mass graves. In the liberated territories of Ukraine, exhumation of bodies is constantly being carried out, but it is difficult to establish the exact number of victims, since some of the bodies remain unidentified or simply disappeared without a trace.
We should mention the Second World War, during which more than 4 million soldiers of the entire USSR went missing, among them were hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, although their exact number remains unknown. Many of them died on the battlefield, were captured, or were buried in mass graves that were often unmarked. The fate of many soldiers is still unknown, and their families are left without answers about what happened to their loved ones.
Ukraine is not the only country that has such a sad experience. In Iraq, where decades of conflict have left deep wounds, about a million people have gone missing. Their fates are likely hidden in the numerous mass graves left over from the rule of Saddam Hussein and the brutal actions of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State. Each grave represents thousands of missing people, whose families are still waiting for answers about the fate of their loved ones.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the war left its terrible mark, still has more than 7,600 people missing. A particularly tragic page of history was the genocide in Srebrenica, where more than 1,000 victims have not yet been found, their bodies remain buried in nameless graves. Each of these cases are families who have been trying for years to get at least some information about their relatives.
Cambodia suffered no less, where more than 20,000 Khmer Rouge-era mass graves hold the remains of 1.3 million dead. It is a terrifying reminder of how ruthless a human regime can be when it chooses to kill its own people.
Ethnographer Adam Rosenblatt aptly compared mass burials to an “underground map of atrocities” that permeates the entire planet. These graves not only bury victims, they hide pain and suffering that is hard to measure. Behind each mass grave are not only the bodies of the dead, but also families who cannot live peacefully without knowing what happened to their loved ones. The search for answers and the desire to return the remains of relatives so that they can be properly mourned becomes for these people an irresistible need that does not allow them to find peace.
Actions in support of captured and missing fighters
The issue of missing in war is extremely complex for several key reasons. One of the main ones is the impossibility of retrieving the bodies of the dead from the occupied territories, where Russian troops control the area and do not allow humanitarian or search missions. They often hide burial sites or block access to them, making it impossible to exhume bodies and identify the dead.
Another problem is the difficulty of collecting bodies from battlefields where fierce fighting is ongoing. During active hostilities, even the approaches to the site of death may be blocked or under constant fire, creating a danger for search parties. Because of this, bodies remain on the battlefield, and relatives cannot get information about the fate of their loved ones.
There is also a problem of lack of proper communication between military units and the families of the dead or missing. Often, due to the chaos of war, information about dead or missing soldiers is delayed or incomplete, adding to the suffering of families searching for answers. All these factors greatly complicate the process of identifying and searching for the missing, leaving many families in a state of painful uncertainty.
Relatives of missing and captured Ukrainian soldiers found themselves in a state where each day of uncertainty becomes unbearable. Many of them believe that the authorities are not making enough efforts to search for them. The pain of families is getting louder, because every day without news is a new blow between hope and despair. This prompts them to go to rallies, in the hope that they are the only way to make the state pay attention to their tragedy. People are demanding answers, action and justice so that they are no longer left in the endless darkness of waiting. Yes, yesterday, October 6, on Independence Square took place campaign in support of servicemen of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine and their families. Relatives, brothers and friends of missing and captured fighters from more than 20 TRO brigades joined the peaceful action. In its message on the Facebook page, the initiative group “Women of TRO” noted that the purpose of the action is to draw attention to the plight of these families and rally efforts to support them. More than a hundred representatives of the families of the dead, missing and captured soldiers of the territorial defense gathered at the rally, which testifies to the significant scale of this problem.
This is far from the first rally, and people continue to fight hard so that their loved ones are not forgotten. Almost a month ago, on September 18, in Kyiv, near the Verkhovna Rada, for the fourth time went to the event relatives of marines who were captured by the Russians or went missing at the front. It was the 90th day of protests in the capital, but the pain and despair of these people does not fade. More than a hundred relatives of soldiers whom the state cannot return or even provide an answer about their fate gathered to remind again about the unresolved issue. These people wanted to know what happened to their sons, husbands and brothers. Their cry, it would seem, should have shaken the entire country, but, according to the protesters, it was instead met with a cold wall of indifference.
The people who gathered for the protests are only a part of the families who faced the terrible unknown. They knock on all doors, from people’s deputies to human rights commissioners, but they feel that they are not heard. Despair consumes them, because they see how time passes and there is no answer. Yes, the mother of 21-year-old marine Maya does not leave any action — her son, a prisoner of war since April 2022, is waiting for his release, but every day without news becomes a fight for his life for her.
“We won’t give up until we get the last infantryman back.” – she said, feeling herself on the verge of exhaustion, but determined to continue the fight.
Anna, a participant in the rally, spoke about the scale of the tragedy, which the state does not fully recognize:
“There are more of them than they say. Losing a husband and a brother and not knowing their fate is the worst nightmare for any person, and for me it lasts for years.”
Larisa, the mother of a prisoner of war from Mariupol, is not just protesting – she is ready to starve if it helps to return her son, who has been in captivity for three years. Her pain is not only for the lost city and ruined life, but for the only thing she has left – her son.
“86 days without food, without water. If nothing helps, I’m ready to starve.” — her words testify to the incredible strength with which mothers and wives fight for the lives of their loved ones.
In August 2023, in Kyiv, in the city center, the families of soldiers and civilians who went missing or were captured held an action dedicated to the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is celebrated on August 30. About 500 participants gathered on Independence Square, after which they marched to the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People.
“Thousands of Ukrainian servicemen and civilians are considered missing, most of them are alive and in captivity. While the search for defenders continues, their relatives have no idea what happened to them: father, son, brother, husband, daughter for weeks, months, years.” – said one of rally organizers Head of Polygon 56 NGO Olena Dobycha.
These protests are not just rallies, but the cry of souls demanding answers and real actions, not slogans and promises. Every day without news is a new wound in their hearts, and these people will not stop until their sons and husbands come home.
The world’s first digital map of mass graves
The other day, British scientists stated, which created the world’s first digital map of post-war mass graves using open source code. This card is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a way of perpetuating the memory of the dead. It provides a form of justice for victims’ families by ensuring that the deaths of their loved ones are recorded and documented.
The development of the map began shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. Researchers have begun collecting information on potential mass grave sites to better understand how to document their locations in real time using open-source data. Tools developed to support mapping were also stress tested. This was reported in an analytical article by Ellie Smith, a senior research associate at the Faculty of Law at Bournemouth University, and Melanie Klinkner, a professor of international law at the same university, on the pages of The Conversation. Scientists said that this work was difficult because the Internet was flooded with various reports from potential victims, witnesses, journalists and analysts. The collected amount of materials was huge, so scientists had to check which of the reports were reliable, and where there could be accidental or intentional inaccuracies. The map was supposed to reflect the actual location of the mass graves, taking this information into account.
Scientists worked in a rapidly changing situation: it was necessary to record and verify data on burial sites in a short period of time, before the circumstances changed. The work in Ukraine was a reminder for researchers of the need to protect themselves from the constant influence of graphic reports and images. As Diego Núñez, data scientist for the MaGPIE project, pointed out, even when you get used to graphic content, it’s hard not to feel powerless in the face of evidence of human rights abuses of any kind. On the one hand, it was noticeable how little information was coming from eastern Ukraine and Russian-controlled territories, which increased the risk of an incomplete or distorted picture. On the other hand, when the Russian troops left these regions, the data became more. However, for those looking for their loved ones, the unavailability of information about burial places creates additional suffering.
That is why the creation of the first global digital map of mass graves is extremely important. Physically perpetuating burial sites can be difficult in regions with ongoing political or ethnic tensions, or where criminals are still in power. Such a card will help preserve the memory of the dead and protect against attempts to deny war crimes. She becomes part of the global struggle for justice, helping to preserve the truth for future generations and document facts that can become key evidence for court proceedings.
Currently, there is no single global system for recording or monitoring the number of mass graves and the victims who may be buried in them. However, at the level of individual countries, some projects have been implemented, in particular in Bosnia and Cambodia, which allow a better understanding of the challenges faced by researchers in this process. One of the main challenges is not only the identification of burial sites, but also ethical issues, such as the feasibility of open access to this data, especially in the context of security. The scientists’ goal was to develop guidelines and tools for those mapping mass graves to help them make ethical decisions and avoid risks. Scientists have faced many challenges along the way, including verifying the credibility of online reports and sources. Finding materials and verifying information requires considerable effort, as many burial sites are located in remote areas or remain unmarked. This created the risk that some of these sites could be undervalued or even used for revisionist historical narratives, denying the family the opportunity to seek justice.
It should be noted that the search for mass graves and the methods of their research have developed significantly over the past decades. For example, in South and Latin America, in the 1970s and 1980s, forensic teams were created that specialized in exhuming the bodies of victims of military regimes. Similar teams worked in Guatemala and Peru, helping the families of the disappeared to find out the fate of their loved ones.
The international tribunals established after the conflicts in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia have gone further, bringing in multidisciplinary teams of experts for large-scale investigations. Modern technologies such as satellite imagery and ground-penetrating radar have become important tools for finding graves, and DNA testing plays a key role in reliably identifying victims.
Despite the significant number of such burials in the world and their importance to families and societies, the extent of the problem has not yet been fully explored. Although many countries have laws governing the search for missing persons and the exhumation of victims, their implementation often varies depending on political and economic conditions. Unfortunately, some states lack the resources or expertise to conduct quality forensic investigations, leaving families without answers and criminals with impunity. Effectively combating this problem requires efforts at the international level, as well as a deeper understanding of how legal obligations can be implemented in practice.
The path to justice through investigation and protection of evidence
Mass burials are not only places of tragedy, but also a source of evidence of crimes that can be used to initiate criminal cases against the perpetrators. For the families of the missing, these burials can be the first step towards justice. However, until recently, there were no universal international standards to guide experts on best practices for protecting and investigating such sites. This created a vacuum in approaches to the study of mass graves. This gap has been partly filled by the Bournemouth Protocol, which was developed to protect and investigate mass graves. A group of leading international experts joined its creation, including representatives of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Criminal Court. Members of this team have vast experience in working with mass burials as lawyers, judges, investigators and forensic experts, working in many different parts of the world.
The protocol is structured according to the chronology of the investigation of mass graves — from the moment they were discovered to ensuring justice and preserving the memory of the victims. It is already used by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and is available in 15 languages, including Ukrainian. However, the process of exhuming such burials is time-consuming and expensive, and for many countries it is practically unattainable due to a lack of resources or experts. For example, in Iraq, where many mass graves have been formed as a result of years of conflict and repression, it is estimated that exhuming all known graves at the current rate could take more than 800 years. However, effective investigation of such crimes requires not only resources, but also political will. As scientists note, where the guilty are still in power, political will may be completely absent.
In some countries, mass burials become uncomfortable witnesses that contradict political narratives. This is particularly evident in Republika Srpska in Bosnia, where President Milorad Dodik, a genocide denier, is promising to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The government is actively involved in rewriting history, and since 2016, school curricula no longer contain information about the genocide in Srebrenica or the siege of Sarajevo. Of the 42 largest mass graves in the country, only 12 have memorial plaques or other markings. In such conditions, many witnesses are afraid to talk about the places of mass burials. The head of the Institute of Missing Persons in Bosnia, Amor Masovic, noted that information about the graves is still being held by witnesses, but the political climate is discouraging them from going public. As an example, we can cite Guatemala, where after many years of impunity and lack of state support, a new president was elected who spoke on an anti-corruption platform. Today, the country is investigating former army general Lucas Garcia, giving the families hope for justice and the discovery of mass graves.
It is important to note that online documentation and mapping are becoming new tools for recording facts and protecting evidence in the field of human rights. Research is currently underway into how these technologies can be applied to mass burials, ensuring their preservation in the event of changing political conditions and possible future investigations. However, time is not on the side of those looking for their missing relatives. Witnesses and criminals grow old or die, and memories fade with them. Public disclosure of burial sites is not always the best solution, as it can endanger witnesses and victims’ families, especially in countries where criminal investigations are just beginning or the perpetrators are still in office. In addition, mass burial sites remain vulnerable to interventions. Criminals often try to cover up their crimes by destroying burials or tampering with evidence. This can lead to the loss of important evidence or damage to the bodies, making it impossible to identify them. For families waiting for their loved ones to return, such losses are not only traumatic, but also catastrophic. So, as we can see, the investigation of mass burials is a complex and lengthy process that requires not only scientific knowledge, but also political will and ethical decisions.
Each unmarked grave is someone’s ruined world, an unknown that keeps relatives in constant despair. For Ukraine, the world’s first digital map of mass graves is a real hope for thousands of families who are still looking for their missing loved ones. After all, many of those who are considered dead may not be buried in unmarked graves, but are in captivity or found themselves in other circumstances that did not allow them to return home. This map will help not only to find the dead, but also to continue the search for those who may still be alive and will eventually return to their families. It opens up new avenues for investigation and gives hope that the stories of many Ukrainians are not over yet.
The appearance of such a map is undoubtedly an important step towards revealing the fate of many missing persons. However, despite this progress, the authorities cannot remain aloof. Families who have lost contact with their loved ones demand not only technical solutions, but also specific actions from the state. The authorities must hear these cries of despair and take decisive and effective measures to find the missing and captured. If this does not happen, trust in the state will be completely destroyed. The lack of answers will only increase the families’ pain and force them to look for other ways to get the truth, which can have unintended consequences. The price of such indifference can turn out to be too high, because desperate people can resort to extreme measures to achieve justice for their relatives. The authorities must act now to prevent this crisis of confidence from deepening.
Oksana Ishchenko
