Ukraine reports 55,000 missing amidst prolonged war with Russia
Ukraine has officially recognized 55,000 individuals as missing due to Russia's aggressive war, the majority of whom are military personnel, said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Leonid Tymchenko, reports Ukrinform. "This number is quite dynamic: when the whereabouts of missing persons are established, in some cases it turns out that the individual is, for instance, in captivity," Tymchenko explained, adding that periodically they confirm deaths among those previously considered missing.
A unified registry for missing persons was launched in Ukraine in May 2023. At the time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported 23,000 missing individuals. By July 2024, the ministry updated the registry to include 42,000 Ukrainians.