Ukraine Sees Surge in Inquiries From Russian Families on Missing Soldiers – The Moscow Times

Ukraine received a record number of inquiries last month from Russian families seeking information about missing relatives serving in Russia’s armed forces, Kyiv said Tuesday.

Ukraine established a hotline last year to help Russians locate missing soldiers as part of efforts to facilitate prisoner exchanges.

The hotline, called “I Want to Find,” is run by Ukraine’s Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which reported receiving 8,548 inquiries in January — 22% more than in December.

“This is the highest number of applications in a single month,” the center said in a message on Telegram.

Since its launch, the hotline has received over 60,000 requests regarding missing Russian soldiers. However, the center suggested the real number of missing personnel could be two to three times higher, as “not all relatives have reached out yet.”

The surge in inquiries from Russia, the center claimed, “indicates the enemy’s huge losses in Ukraine.”