Commissioner for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances, Artur Dobroserdov, notes the difficulties in identifying bodies when the only option is to establish identity by DNA.

"Yes, there are problems with identification – due to the condition of the body effected by high temperatures, conditions of being on an open surface or in the ground for a long time. After this, visual identification is impossible," Dobroserdov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He stressed that in such cases, there is only the possibility of establishing identity by DNA – "to hope that there is someone from blood relatives so that they can be compared."

At the same time, the Commissioner noted that the situation is more complicated when there are no blood relatives or the family has gone abroad.

"There are bodies on which DNA was profiled three, four, five times, but unfortunately the attempts were unsuccessful, so we continue to work," he said.

In this context, the Commissioner drew attention to the fact that since the end of last year, a campaign has been underway to take DNA samples from Ukrainians who are abroad.

"Currently, such branches operate in Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Turkey, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Spain and the Italian Republic. After the selection, the samples are transferred to the investigative bodies of Ukraine, which appoint an examination and fingerprint the DNA profile," the Commissioner added.