Japan begins training Ukraine cops to identify war dead

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan on Monday began training police personnel from Ukraine to identify war dead.

At least 10 cops from war-hit Ukraine are being trained by Japanese counterparts "on ways to identify war dead," Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Oleksandr Shulha, representative of the Ukrainian delegation, said: "Our colleagues joining this program come from the provinces where there is a war going on. We have been invited by Japan and we expect to be shown (the Japanese side's) vast experience."

Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) said the Ukrainian cops will learn mass autopsy procedures, collection of specimens, and DNA analysis during their five-day training until Friday.

Russia launched war on Ukraine last year in February resulting in tens of hundreds of deaths and injuries. Millions have been displaced from Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian police will also learn about Japan's approach to mental healthcare for family members who lost loved ones and officers involved in identifying bodies," the NPA said.

The visiting cops will also travel to the Fukushima province to visit the remains of the disaster-hit Ukedo Elementary School, which was damaged in the 2011 earthquake disaster.

Kyiv had contacted Tokyo through the UN Development Program in May, seeking Japan's professional expertise in identifying large numbers of bodies.