Ukraine’s New Project Helps Locate and Repatriate Hundreds of Missing Russian Soldiers

Since its launch in January 2024, Ukraine’s project “Khochu naiti” (I Want to Find) has successfully located 588 missing Russian soldiers. As of August 5, 2024, the initiative has identified 533 soldiers alive and in captivity, with 100 of them already repatriated to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Additionally, 55 soldiers have been confirmed dead, with the remains of 33 returned to Russia.

The project was established by Ukraine’s POW Coordination Headquarters to assist families of Russian soldiers who have been captured, reported missing, or killed in Ukraine. Since its inception, the service has received 20,098 inquiries from relatives seeking information about their loved ones.

A Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson, Andrii Yusov, explained that the initiative was launched due to the lack of communication from Russian officials regarding the fate of their soldiers. The project aims to provide information on the status of Russian servicemen, addressing gaps left by Russian authorities in updating families on their soldiers' conditions.

“Khochu naiti” complements the existing "Khochu Zhyt" (I Want to Live) project, which was launched in September 2022 to assist Russian and Belarusian servicemen seeking to surrender voluntarily.

Since the launch of “Khochu naiti,” over 30,000 inquiries have been recorded, with an anticipated increase in requests. The project operates through a Telegram chatbot and a website accessible. The process involves filling out an online form with details about the missing person and the inquirer, after which the system provides information on whether the soldier is in captivity, deceased, or their status is unknown.

The Ukrainian authorities have emphasized that this project serves both humanitarian and informational purposes, ensuring that families of missing soldiers receive accurate updates on their loved ones.