Number of Missing Civilians in Ukraine and Those Imprisoned in Russia Revealed

In observance of the International Day of the Disappeared, Ukraine’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, released the latest figures concerning Ukrainian citizens who are missing and those detained in Russia.

According to Lubinets, more than 14,000 people are currently considered missing due to the ongoing Russian aggression, which began in 2014. Additionally, it has been verified that nearly 1,700 civilians are being held in prisons on Russian territory. He also noted that detained Ukrainians are often subjected to torture and sexual violence, with their families left without any information about their whereabouts.

In his statement, the Ombudsman once again called on the international community to take notice of the abduction of Ukrainian civilians by Russia and to take effective steps toward their return.

Earlier, prisoner exchange on August 24, which saw 115 Ukrainian servicemen freed from Russian captivity.

In March 2022, in Mariupol, amid constant shelling, residents began burying the dead in temporary graves. Estimates indicate that at least 10,284 people were buried in the city’s five cemeteries during the first year of the conflict. This number includes those who died directly as a result of attacks and those who succumbed later due to the war’s aftermath.

The report also notes that many bodies were buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings or were initially interred in temporary graves, which were later moved to official cemeteries. Due to the complex situation and lack of information, the exact number of missing civilians remains unknown. Many families continue to search for their loved ones, still lacking concrete information about their fate.