Kathrine Frich
Humanitarian groups say the official numbers only reveal part of a far deeper crisis.
Nearly four years into Russia’s war against Ukraine, the scale of people missing without trace continues to expand, cutting across borders and affecting both soldiers and civilians.
New figures highlight how uncertainty has become a defining reality for tens of thousands of families.
A vast search
Since the start of the invasion, the International Committee of the Red Cross has received around 182,000 requests for help locating missing people, a representative of the organization told the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.
The requests come from both Ukraine and Russia and concern not only military personnel but also civilians, including children.
The ICRC official said the total figure understates the true scale, as many families never formally register a request.
According to the organization, the number of affected families is likely significantly higher than existing records suggest.
Prisoner information
The ICRC gathers information on prisoners of war through official lists exchanged between Kyiv and Moscow.
Its representatives also visit detention facilities to confirm whether captured combatants are alive.
During these visits, the organization collects written or verbal messages from prisoners and passes them on to relatives.
Over almost four years of war, more than 24,200 such messages have been delivered, the ICRC said.
Even so, many families wait years without any clarity about the fate of their loved ones.
Long-term uncertainty
The Red Cross warned that past conflicts show searches for missing persons can continue for decades, even after fighting ends.
Alongside tracing efforts, the organization also facilitates the exchange of remains of those killed in the war.
Identification of bodies and official notifications, however, fall under the responsibility of state authorities, not humanitarian groups.
As a result, families often face prolonged delays before receiving confirmation.
Official claims questioned
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said a new coordination center and registry for missing servicemen had reduced the number of active searches by half.
Lawyer Alexander Kupriyan told Russian media that families still encounter serious obstacles, including bureaucracy, confusion over legal status and fraudulent schemes exploiting their vulnerability.
He said the new mechanism “does not always work on the ground as expected.”
Parallel tallies
In Ukraine, the project “I Want to Find” reported receiving more than 152,200 inquiries from relatives of missing Russian servicemen since the beginning of 2024 alone.
The group receives about 2,000 requests every week and says only 2% end with confirmation the person is alive in captivity.
Ukrainian officials have also released broader figures.
In May 2025, Artur Dobroserdov, head of Ukraine’s secretariat for missing persons in special circumstances, said more than 70,000 people were being sought, including 2,700 minors.
Sources: International Committee of the Red Cross, Vedomosti, Digi24, Ukrainian authorities
