LocationsA forensic expert seeking truth amid the ruins
How Police Lieutenant Colonel Kateryna Onipenko documents war crimes in Donetsk Oblast and restores names to the dead
Police Lieutenant Colonel Kateryna Onipenko, Head of the Forensic Support Department of the Investigation Division at the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk Oblast, has served as a member of the National Police of Ukraine for nearly 20 years. Her team responds to shelling sites, documents war crimes, conducts exhumations, and identifies the bodies of the deceased. For her, every case is not just a professional task but a step towards justice for those who have lost everything.
Kateryna knew back in school that she wanted to work in the field of law. She graduated from a specialized university, completed internships at notary and law offices, but found her true calling in the police. She began as an investigator, and when the Forensic Support Department was established, she was invited to lead it. By then, she was already studying forensics and applying it in her work.
“Every new case is a new challenge that requires new approaches, new knowledge, and complete focus. The main issue lies in the critical importance of examining the crime scene, which is an irreplaceable investigative action. Once you leave the scene, it is impossible to recreate it or return to the conditions in which we started working,” the forensic expert explained.
In January 2015, when Mariupol came under heavy shelling, Kateryna faced a tragedy of that scale for the first time — a memory that remains vivid.
“Was I scared? Of course, for about half an hour. But I had professional and life experience that helped me stay strong and keep working. I wasn’t afraid for myself, but for the people — because of the responsibility to serve with dignity and do my job at the highest level for those who look to us for help. During the horrific events of 2015 in my hometown of Mariupol, I was on duty and remember that day well. Thirty-five civilians were killed, and it was the first time I saw so many bodies that we had to identify. It was Sunday, 10 a.m., when the shelling happened. How do you explain such a horrific event to a 15-year-old girl or to parents searching for their loved ones? We had to do our job and help the people around us,” Kateryna recalled.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kateryna continued working in Donetsk Oblast. Her unit often travels to frontline areas where the security situation changes by the hour.
“Usually, we don’t have much time to work — maybe two hours or even less. There are cases when we cannot examine the scene because of continuous shelling,” she noted.
One of the most difficult tasks for her team was investigating areas where the Government of Ukraine regained control after occupation: “There we found mass and individual graves. We had to exhume and identify about 300 bodies. We had never dealt with anything like this before.”.
Kateryna admits that forensic work requires constant concentration and attention. In frontline conditions, danger adds another layer. Yet, despite everything, she has never considered leaving the service.
In 2023, Kateryna took part in a study visit to Japan organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine with financial support from the Government of Japan. This trip was part of an initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of Ukraine’s forensic units.
“We had previously participated in knowledge exchanges with other countries, but they lacked similar expertise. Japan, however, has developed experience in body identification and conducting exhumations of mass graves after disasters. That’s why this study visit was so interesting for me — to learn from Japanese colleagues,” Kateryna said. She adds that the most valuable takeaway was not only the knowledge gained but also the feeling that Ukraine is not facing this tragedy alone.
Kateryna’s work combines high levels of responsibility, emotional resilience, and deep empathy. For her, it is important that the world sees not only the horrors of war but also the strength of those who stand against the darkness.
This material was developed as part of the “Promotion of Human Security in Ukraine Through Responding to the Multidimensional Crisis Caused by the War” project, implemented by UNDP and financed by the Government of Japan.
Photo credit: Andrii Krepkykh / UNDP in Ukraine
