The Number of Missing Persons Currently Known: Ukrainian Side Provides Information

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) estimates that over 15,000 people have gone missing during the comprehensive war in Ukraine. The exact number of individuals that have been forcibly displaced, detained in Russia, separated from their families, or died and buried in temporary graves remains unclear, ICMP Europe Director Matthew Holliday told Reuters.

The figure of 15,000 is a conservative estimate, Holliday said, considering that authorities in Mariupol alone claim 25,000 individuals are either dead or considered missing.

“The numbers are staggering, and the challenges are immense that Ukraine faces,” Holliday stated. The process of investigating the cases of missing persons in Ukraine will continue for years, even after military operations cease, the ICMP director added.