Over 100,000 Russian families seek missing soldiers through Ukrainian project, Kyiv says
More than 100,000 Russian families have contacted a Ukrainian-run initiative in search of information about missing Russian soldiers, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War (POWs) said on June 12.
The announcement comes as Russia and Ukraine are conducting a series of the most extensive prisoner exchanges since the beginning of the large-scale war in 2022. The latest phase of the exchange occurred on June 12.
The initiative, called “I Want to Find” (Russian: “Хочу найти”), has received 100,324 requests from Russian citizens seeking answers about relatives who vanished while serving in Russia’s military, the Coordination Headquarters said.
The actual number of missing Russian troops is believed to be significantly higher. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has largely concealed the scale of its military losses, forcing many families to search independently, Ukrainian officials said.
In May 2025 alone, the project received a record 12,320 inquiries — the highest monthly figure since the program began in January 2024.
Through the project, families can verify whether their relatives have been captured or killed, which may enable them to pressure Russian authorities to pursue prisoner exchanges. As of June, Ukraine has confirmed 2,415 Russian soldiers held in captivity, with 1,126 of them already exchanged for Ukrainian defenders, the Coordination Headquarters said.
“Many more Russians remain in captivity, but not all families know about the program or have submitted requests,” the agency added.
A detailed analysis of the requests revealed that some of Russia’s most severely depleted units include the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Military Unit 90600), which accounts for 2,277 missing personnel — the highest of any single unit. Of the 20 most-affected units, 17 are motorized rifle brigades, often deployed in Russia’s most brutal infantry assaults, commonly referred to as “meat grinder” tactics.
The data also showed that 26% of missing soldiers were under the age of 30. The youngest reported missing was 18, and the oldest was 67.
The project has also uncovered a shift in public sentiment, claiming 75% of those submitting requests said they do not support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has lost over 1 million troops since the start of its invasion — a figure reported for the first time on June 12, with 1,140 casualties recorded in just one day. The total reported Russian losses stand at 1,000,340 as of that date.
The Kremlin has not commented on the figures.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York