Support for Families of the Missing: Regional institutions meet in Poltava to find solutions
November 27, 2025
As of June, Ukraine reported more than 70,000 missing persons because of russia’s full-scale invasion – both soldiers and civilians. Their families do not know whether their loved one is missing, held in captivity by the aggressor or buried on the battlefield. They move through numerous procedures and spend days, months and sometimes years waiting – waiting for any information that might finally bring clarity and end this terrible uncertainty.
Last week in Poltava, the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine Mobile Unit convened 24 representatives of state institutions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy regions for an interagency knowledge-sharing roundtable on the search for missing persons, the identification of human remains and the handling of cases involving prisoners of war, in the context of russia’s ongoing unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.
The discussion centred on how to streamline procedures and close the gaps between institutions that manage different stages of a case – from the first report of a disappearance to DNA analysis, identification and informing relatives of the results.
Participants shared concrete updates on how cases are handled on the ground. The Main Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination presented plans to upgrade autopsy procedures, while forensic centres in Poltava and Sumy reported the opening of new DNA laboratories. These steps will allow investigative authorities to route requests more efficiently, reducing waiting times for identification and giving relatives clearer expectations about timelines.
Police investigators and civil society representatives compared current practices for informing and supporting families. They discussed how to create consistent referral pathways so that relatives are not sent from office to office and can access psychological and legal support more quickly.
The Central Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War responded directly to questions from CSOs about negotiations with the Russian side and the constraints under which prisoner exchanges take place. This helped clarify which information can be shared publicly and why certain stages cannot be disclosed.
Ten experts from EUAM Ukraine took part in the exchanges, gaining detailed insight into procedures, challenges and effective practices already developed by Ukrainian authorities.
“In a war where so many remain missing, and where thousands of families are searching for news, these gains matter. Each clarified procedure, each faster identification and each better-informed family brings Ukraine closer to a system that not only records loss, but also respects the dignity of those who disappeared – and the rights of those who are still waiting for an answer,” said Johan Cytraeus, Head of Mobile Unit at EUAM Ukraine.
For the Mission, such events are significant because the information gathered will feed into EUAM’s advisory work – from supporting the documentation of international crimes to strengthening criminal investigations and ensuring that victim-centred approaches are embedded in Ukrainian legal procedures.
