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On the front line of the conflict, the Brazilian was among at least 53 compatriots victimized in the war since 2022, according to iG. The family awaits the death certificate and a statement from Itamaraty on the circumstances, and the burial is expected to take place in Ukraine, far from Itajubá.
Another Brazilian died in combat in the Ukraine war. The victim is Moysés Bezerra da Rocha Gonçalves, 37 years old, a native of Itajubá, in the south of Minas Gerais, and the death was confirmed by the family. According to relatives, the Brazilian was on the front line of the conflict and is said to have died on May 28.
According to the family, they are awaiting the issuance of the death certificate and an official statement from Itamaraty on the circumstances of the death. Due to the distance, the elapsed time, and bureaucracy, the burial is expected to take place in Ukraine, but relatives and friends gathered at a service in Itajubá last Saturday, June 6, for a symbolic farewell. The case adds to that of other Brazilians victimized in the war since February 2022.
Who was the Brazilian killed in Ukraine
The Brazilian killed was Moysés Bezerra da Rocha Gonçalves, 37 years old, a native of Itajubá, a city in the interior of Minas Gerais. According to the report by iG, the death was confirmed by the family and is said to have occurred on May 28, when he was on the front line of the conflict in Ukraine. The family claims to be awaiting the death certificate and an official position from Itamaraty on what happened.
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Until the publication of the report, the Brazilian still did not have the circumstances of the death clarified by the authorities. According to iG, Itamaraty was contacted to provide more details, but there was no response until the closure of the material. The absence of formal confirmation leaves the family waiting for answers.
The farewell in Itajubá and the burial in Ukraine
Even with the Brazilian’s death far from home, the family found a way to say goodbye. Relatives and friends gathered for a service in Itajubá last Saturday, June 6, in a symbolic farewell, as the body is not in Brazil. The gesture brought the community together around the memory of Moysés.
According to iG, the burial of the Brazilian is expected to take place in Ukraine itself. The decision is attributed to the distance, the time elapsed since the incident, and the bureaucracy involved in transporting bodies amidst a war. This type of obstacle is common in situations involving the deaths of foreigners in conflict zones.
The numbers that don’t match between iG and Itamaraty
The case of the Brazilian is part of a scenario of divergent numbers regarding the victims in the war. According to a survey by iG, by early 2026, the war in Ukraine had claimed at least 53 Brazilian victims since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, with 30 dead and 23 missing. These data were gathered from interviews with family and friends, analysis of social media, and consultation with other reports.
However, the official numbers from Itamaraty present a different picture from that reported by the press. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by the beginning of this year, 17 Brazilians had been confirmed dead and another 41 remain officially missing. The ministry only considers cases reported to the authorities, which does not resolve the uncertainties of families, often faced with conflicting information and a lack of formal confirmations.
The weight of the war beyond the Brazilian victims
Beyond the Brazilian victims, international estimates point to much higher numbers of deaths in the conflict. According to The New York Times, U.S. authorities estimate that around 120,000 people have died on the Russian side, a number much higher than in Ukraine, where approximately 70,000 deaths have been recorded. These figures help to gauge the scale of the war in which the Brazilian was killed.
In the specific case of the Brazilians, iG reports having gathered the names of the 30 dead and the 23 missing. In one of the records, the identification was kept fictitious at the family’s request, who preferred not to have the real name mentioned, a detail that shows care for grieving people. The report also states that it sought the Ukrainian Embassy in Brazil, without receiving a response by the time of publication.
The death of the Brazilian Moysés Bezerra da Rocha Gonçalves brings back into focus the presence of Brazilians in a distant war and the risks it represents. Amid the families’ grief, the wait for official confirmations, and the divergence in numbers, the case exposes the uncertainties surrounding those who decide to go to the front line of the conflict. For now, mourning remains in Itajubá and questions remain unanswered.
And you, what do you think about Brazilians going to fight in wars abroad? Share your opinion, respecting different views and the memory of the victims.
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