Ukraine lists 42,000 citizens in its unified register for persons missing under special circumstances, an Interior Ministry official said, Ukrinform reported on July 17.
The register collects data on people who have disappeared due to war, occupation, or natural and man-made disasters.
The figure underscores the humanitarian impact of Russia's full-scale war, which is accompanied by deportations, kidnappings, and a large number of deaths among both the military and civilians in Ukraine.
"Overall, the register has collected information on 51,000 persons missing under special circumstances since its launch" in May 2023, said Dmytro Bohatiuk, the head of the Interior Ministry's missing persons department, adding that 42,000 are listed in the register at the present time.
The latest figure is a considerable growth since April, when Ukraine's Chief Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, revealed that almost 37,000 Ukrainians are considered missing.
The ministry also possesses data on 7,000 people whose whereabouts have already been established, including 3,000 former prisoners of war who are alive and well and 4,000 killed people, mainly soldiers, Bohatiuk said.
Ukraine reports on the number of people in Russia's captivity only sporadically. Authorities said last November that 2,384 soldiers and civilians remained in Russian hands, though several prisoner exchanges have taken place since then.
This number does not include Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories, whose numbers exceed 19,500.
(Updated: )
