Ukraine’s unified register of persons gone missing under special circumstances becomes operational – Oleh Kotenko

The unified register of persons gone missing under special circumstances became operational on May 2, 2023. The register currently lists 23,700 persons whose disappearance was previously reported by their relatives. Over 8,000 of the people listed have already been found.

Oleh Kotenko, Commissioner on Persons Gone Missing under Special Circumstances, made this statement during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

“People who contact us to have individuals included in this register receive extracts. All relatives who are looking for missing persons and have filed a missing person’s report with the National Police, and those who have applied to the Office of the Commissioner on Persons Gone Missing, are included in this register, they are all there. This is more than 23,000 people,” he said.

As noted during the briefing, a person’s inclusion in the register is the only confirmation that they are considered missing under special circumstances.

“When we provide an extract upon an application from relatives, we check if this person can really be included in this register, whether they went missing under special circumstances or not. But almost 99% of those who apply receive such extracts. Why are such extracts needed? Firstly, for record keeping, and secondly, this is a status officially confirmed by the state. When a person has an extract in their hands, they can count on the loss of dependent coverage, and thus families need this extract to have some kind of financial aid,” Oleh Kotenko explained.

At the same time, the Commissioner on Persons Gone Missing under Special Circumstances noted that more than 60% of the missing are returned alive.

“This is a percentage, it’s not exact. But it is 60-65%, I talk about it everywhere. And just so you understand that 60% of those we are looking for are alive, they return alive. I believe it’s very good.”

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