Abstract The study aimed to identify, develop and evaluate the effectiveness of innovative methods, technologies and approaches for the identification of deceased persons during armed conflicts, natural disasters and other emergencies, to improve the accuracy, efficiency and ethics of the identification process. For this purpose, innovative criminalistic and forensic medical methods of deceased identification were analysed, i.e. the specifics of each method and its practical application. As a result, the study determined that the accuracy and speed of identification of the deceased are significantly improved by innovative identification methods such as DNA analysis, forensic anthropology, medical record comparison, big data and artificial intelligence. Their use is especially appropriate in situations where the condition of the bodies makes conventional methods, such as fingerprinting or visual recognition, ineffective. The main obstacles to the identification process are mass graves, the destruction of bodies and the lack of centralized databases of the deceased. Modern laboratory technologies, such as mass spectrometry and three-dimensional reconstruction, are needed to address issues related to the condition of the remains, such as decomposition, fragmentation or thermal damage. However, the lack of adequate logistical support is still a serious problem. Innovative approaches require adherence to legal and ethical standards, such as protecting personal information, respecting cultural and religious customs, and providing families with access to information about the deceased. The coordination of specialists’ efforts and the guarantee of the accuracy of the results largely depend on international standards such as INTERPOL disaster victim identification. An important step in improving efficiency is their integration into national identification systems. Joint protocols and international databases ensure effective coordination between states.
Shevchuk et al. (Mon,) studied this question.