How many people are missing because of war - Red Cross data

This was reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on 19 February.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is working to find out the fate of 23,000 people whose families have not heard from them - either because they were captured or killed, or because contact with them was lost after they left home," it said.

In total, in two years, the ICRC has received more than 115,000 appeals from families from Ukraine and Russia who are searching for loved ones. And during 2024, the Red Cross has helped 8,000 families obtain information about loved ones reported missing.

International humanitarian law enshrines the right of families to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives," the international organisation said.

The ICRC noted that two years after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian needs continue to grow.

We will remind, Ukrainians abroad can give DNA samples to search for missing persons. The collection of materials is carried out in Poland, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Turkey. Ukrainians must apply in advance to submit DNA samples.