The bodies are stacked in the morgue of the Ukrainian city of Mikolaiv.

In the courtyard of the Forensic Research Institute, where there is a morgue of Mikolaiv, a Ukrainian city on the Black Sea coast, there is constantly snow on the corpses wrapped in gray plastic bags, waiting for evacuation.

In one of these cold images, the corpse lies together by hand, as if praying.He explains that when the Russians caught him, they were actually throwing a Molotov cocktail. He added that his hands were tied and executed.

In the ruinous forensic premises of the city, where Russians were attacked, due to lack of space, other corpses lie on the floor.The smell of death mixed with disinfectants is everywhere.

“I've never seen anything like this. We thought the worst thing that could happen to us here was a car accident.” Vladimir, one of the employees of the morgue, says he holds a cigarette in his hand. He works non-stop with his colleagues.

Among the deaths are victims of war, civilians and military personnel, as well as people who died from natural causes.

The doctor performs an autopsy in unsanitary conditions. To go to a cold store, where the bodies of the victims of the bombing that took place a few days ago in Ochakiv, a few kilometers from Mikolaiv, have to pass several naked bodies.

- “Too young” -

Vladimir again crosses the courtyard and opens the door to nightmares.About 30 corpses lie on the ground.Two soldiers dressed in military uniforms, one of which is stacked on top of each other.

Vladimir regrets that “they are too young and younger than their nephews”. He also says that there is a Russian soldier in the back of the building. “We keep them away.” He says.

The employee carefully removes the chain from the neck of the body, which is used for identification.

Violent Russian battles and shelling occur in Mikolaiv and the region, but the Ukrainians resisted and recovered even the northernmost airport a few days ago.

The city is strategic because it constitutes the final stage of the transfer of the large port city of Odessa.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have received 120 bodies, including 80 soldiers and 30 civilians,” says Olga Dierugina of the Forensic Research Institute. The youngest of the civilian victims was a three-year-old boy, and the oldest was a 70-year-old man, he says.

Some bodies are difficult to identify. This is especially true of the 19 bodies that arrived from Ochakov two days ago. DNA samples are taken to learn more about their identity, and experts look at both tattoos and jewelry.

The bodies of soldiers are sent to their homeland. “They are all very young and were born in 1990, 2000...” “, explains Dierugina. “How do you feel today?” , he asks. “Fear. We all have children.” He recalls after a moment of silence.

The doctor wipes his tears and tries to stay calm. “Here in Mikolaiv, it's still okay, but my parents are in Chernigov (north) and cannot be evacuated.” He says.

At the Forensic Research Institute, 15 of his colleagues fled west, and about 60 were still working, and 20 of them were in the morgue.

“I can't thank you enough.” According to her, in Mikolaiv, the situation is still under control, but “if it continues, we are heading directly to a humanitarian disaster,” she continues.

Outside the morgue, some families wait quietly under the snow.

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