Ukraine

Ukraine considers 60,000 citizens as missing persons, official says

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Ukraine considers 60,000 citizens as missing persons, official says
People are seen at an exhibtion of prisoners of conscience from Belarus in Warsaw, Poland, on 19 May, 2024. Belarus has nearly 1,500 prisoners of conscience or politicial prisoners according to the Viasna Centre for Human Rights. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

As of late 2024, 60,000 individuals in Ukraine are considered missing under special circumstances, Ukrinform reported on Dec. 26, citing Dmytro Bohatyuk, head of the Interior Ministry’s Department for Missing Persons.

These cases stem from war, occupation, and natural or man-made disasters.

The figures underscore the extensive humanitarian toll of Russia's full-scale war, marked by illegal deportations, kidnappings, and significant military and civilian casualties.

Since the launch of the Unified Register of Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, over 70,000 cases have been documented.

“As of today, about 60,000 are still actively searched for,” Bohatyuk said, noting that the remaining cases involve individuals who were either found alive or identified among the deceased.

The missing person count does not include over 19,500 Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories.

Efforts to locate missing individuals continue amid the ongoing war.

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