Hendrick Lima Gonçalves, 22, was killed in combat in Ukraine, his family said. (Foto: Instagram)
Hendrick Lima Gonçalves, a 22-year-old Brazilian from Tucuruí in southeastern Pará state, was killed in combat in the war in Ukraine, his family confirmed on social media.
In videos posted Sunday, Nov. 1, his sister, Beatriz Fernandes Correa, said the family was struggling to get information about what happened. She said she had contacted the consulate and Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was waiting for a response. “Everything is still very confusing. This isn’t something that happens quickly, the time difference makes things difficult, and we need answers,” she said.
Correa said relatives believe it is “almost impossible” to recover her brother’s body because, based on the information they have received so far, he was in a high-risk area. She explained that recovery and identification may be possible after an area has been cleared, but that there is little that can be done in a dangerous zone. “Unfortunately, we think it’s almost impossible,” she said.
Given the difficulty of retrieving his body, the family hopes to recover Gonçalves’ documents, certificates, medals and uniform so they can honor him, Correa said. She also thanked people who had sent messages of support.
Correa said she had also been contacted by people interested in joining the war and criticized them for asking how to go and requesting a recruiter’s contact so soon after the family’s loss. She said the inquiries showed a lack of consideration and failed to respect the family’s grief. Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not responded to an inquiry about the case at the time of publication.
