The Ministry of Internal Affairs admitted that there is very little information regarding military personnel missing in action in 2022-2023, specifically in the Bakhmut direction. This was announced by Anastasia Shydlovska, head of the Department for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, during a briefing, as reported by UNN.
I want to admit that there is very little information about those missing in action in 2022-2023, specifically in the Bakhmut direction. There is such a problem, bodies are returned during repatriation from the Bakhmut direction, this is preliminary information that the aggressor country tells us, but it is not a very large number
Shydlovska stated that over 10,000 bodies returned in 2025 constitute 69% of all bodies returned through repatriation since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Over 10,000 bodies have been returned to the Homeland. This is 69% of all bodies that have been returned through repatriation since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Currently, the bodies of repatriated individuals are being distributed to forensic medical examination (FME) institutions in 20 regions and the city of Kyiv. In 2023, there were only 6 institutions working with repatriated bodies.
Repatriation of fallen soldiers: over 10,000 bodies returned this year29.08.25, 12:08 • [views_5050]
She noted that measures are constantly being taken to increase the number of expert institutions that conduct full-profile DNA examinations.
In 2023, there were only 13 full-profile DNA examinations in the Ministry of Internal Affairs system. Currently, there are 20. This means that such laboratories operate in 20 regions. This year, three laboratories that conduct full-profile DNA examinations were also opened in the institutions of the Ministry of Health.
Shydlovska reminded that in 2024, a questionnaire for missing persons under special circumstances was introduced.
Our department actively assists in the search and identification of bodies and remains. At the beginning of our work, based on international experience, we introduced a questionnaire for missing persons under special circumstances. Many families used it and submitted questionnaires, and with the help of these questionnaires, if relatives attach high-quality photos of the missing person's face, as well as their special features, tattoos, we conduct a search using special software. This work began last year (in 2024 - ed.) in May. Currently, over 2,000 people have been identified as being in captivity using such software. This information is transferred to the National Police, the National Information Bureau, the SBU, and the Coordination Headquarters.
Context
The Human Rights Media Initiative reported that Ukraine is investigating the fate of at least 3,000 military personnel missing in battles with the "Wagner" group.
According to "Mediazona", about 20,000 Wagner mercenaries died in the battles for Bakhmut. The command does not report how many Ukrainian soldiers died.
However, Ukrainian losses are significant. These include those killed, missing in action, and taken prisoner. The fate of thousands of them remains unknown.