Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved an experimental project to identify people killed during Russia’s invasion using biometric data. The initiative is designed to accelerate the recognition of fallen defenders, police officers, and civilians, reducing reliance on slower or inconclusive DNA methods.
System Workflow and Scope
Under the resolution adopted on September 26, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVS) will coordinate fingerprinting and photographing of remains. These records will be entered via API into the National Biometric Verification and Identification System (NBVIS) and the ministry’s Automated Dactyloscopic Information System (ADIS), enabling verification against more than 26.6 million biometric records. Results will then be analyzed and formally communicated to pre-trial investigators for procedural handling.
The project also allows proactive collection of fingerprints and palm prints from service members and police engaged in combat. These records are to be used exclusively in cases of missing persons and for post-mortem identification under exceptional circumstances.
Biometric Databases in Use
The NBVIS covers citizens, foreigners, and stateless persons, while ADIS functions as Ukraine’s automated fingerprint repository. By granting authorized bodies access to both systems, the government aims to shorten identification timelines, speed notification to families, and systematize the accounting of the deceased.
According to the MVS, the measure “is aimed at the prompt and accurate identification of fallen defenders, service members and civilians using biometric data,” and the combined use of fingerprint and facial images “will significantly reduce identification time.”
Broader Identity Infrastructure
The effort builds on Ukraine’s growing biometric and digital ID framework, which recently included the adoption of an EU-compatible digital ID wallet. It also follows capacity-building efforts such as OSCE biometric training for forensic specialists and border verification programs. Ukraine has additionally made use of face recognition technologies during the conflict, including Clearview AI tools deployed to scan Russian soldiers.
The new resolution institutionalizes post-mortem biometric identification as part of this wider ecosystem, reflecting the government’s intent to standardize forensic processes and respond to the continuing humanitarian challenge of repatriating and identifying the war dead.
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (MVS), UNN, RBC-Ukraine, Censor.NET
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By Ji-seo Kim
