22-year-old Brazilian dies in combat in Ukraine; family tries to repatriate soldier to Pará

The young Brazilian soldier Hendrick Lima Gonçalves, aged 22, died in combat in the war in Ukraine on October 30th. His family, from the city of Tucuruí, in the southeast of Pará, received confirmation of his death on Saturday (31).

Family members posted on social media that they are looking for information about the circumstances of the death and are trying to facilitate the transfer of the body back to Brazil.

Until this Monday (2), there was no information about the exact location and release of Hendrick's body, nor was there any prediction as to whether the body could be transported to Pará territory.

Through social media, Hendrick's sister reported that the family has already contacted the consulate and directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), but responses are not immediate due to bureaucracy, sending documents and the difference in time zones.

According to the family, the military mission in which the young man was involved has not yet been fully completed, which makes access to official information difficult and they are only receiving reports from other fighters.

"Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find him now, because it was a risk area. Those who are there say that if anyone tries to rescue the body, they could be hit", said his sister, Beatriz Correa.

Given the war scenario, the family's priority at this time is to regularize the young man's documentation, recover personal belongings and military medals.

"What we really want is to go after his documents, his medals, feel represented by him, and move on, know how to comfort ourselves with the pain", reported Beatriz.

What the Brazilian government says

When contacted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed, in a note, that "the Brazilian Embassy in Kiev remains available to provide appropriate consular assistance to the young man's family."

The ministry reinforced that "the assistance provided by the Brazilian State is provided through direct contact with interested relatives and follows the rules of international treaties."

Itamaraty also highlighted that "it has been warning Brazilian citizens about the extreme danger in the region since the escalation of the conflict."

The case remains under monitoring by Brazilian diplomatic authorities.