Kathrine Frich
The human toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to mount.
Beyond the confirmed dead and wounded, tens of thousands of families are still waiting for news of loved ones listed as missing.
About 90,000 Ukrainians have been reported missing since the war began, Ukraine’s State Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances said on Thursday.
Mostly servicemen
According to EFE, citing statements published in Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian commissioner Artur Dobroserdov said most of those listed as missing are members of the armed forces.
He indicated that the majority of missing servicemen are believed to have died.
However, some may be held as prisoners of war in Russia, while others could have deserted.
Prisoner exchanges
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said around 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers are currently being held by Russia.
He also stated that Ukraine is holding approximately 4,000 Russian prisoners of war, according to EFE, cited by Agerpres.
Both sides have been reluctant to publish comprehensive casualty figures and frequently accuse each other of inflating enemy losses.
Disputed figures
Earlier this month, Zelensky said about 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the invasion began. Two years ago, he placed the number at roughly 31,000.
By contrast, US officials estimated in August 2023 that around 70,000 Ukrainian troops had already been killed at that point.
In December 2023, former presidential adviser Oleksii Arestovich claimed approximately 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died.
A French war correspondent reported in March 2024, citing a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence, that around 60,000 soldiers had been killed and about 30,000 were missing, with roughly 90% of those missing presumed dead and 10% believed to be in Russian captivity.
US President Donald Trump has also said that thousands of people are dying each week along the front line.
Sources: EFE, Agerpres, Ukrainska Pravda, Digi24
