Search for captured / missing soldiers

The full-scale war made adjustments in the lives of thousands of Ukrainian families. This especially applies to the families of Ukrainian military personnel. Very often there are situations when contact with military personnel is lost. That is why the search for captured/missing military personnel is a very relevant service from the specialists of our Prykhodko and Partners law office.

Algorithm for searching for missing soldiers

After the military unit receives information about the disappearance of its serviceman, the official investigation stage begins. After the official investigation comes to an end, the relevant data is received by the command and a decision is made to grant the person the status of “missing person”.

The internal instructions of the Armed Forces prescribe the following statuses for missing soldiers: “captured”, “hostages”, “missing”. A person can be declared dead only through a court. If a soldier has gone missing, his status can be changed to “deceased” only if his remains are found, testimony from his relatives is obtained, or in court.

Relatives of a serviceman receive notification of his disappearance or capture through local bodies of the Central Committee of the TSP. The representatives of the military commissariat must directly provide relevant information to the family members of the military about the change in his status.

In the event that relatives and friends of a serviceman cannot get in touch with him for a long time, they also have the right to contact representatives of the Central Committee of the TSP. If the Military Commissariat does not provide any information, you can contact other state structures. This is also the authority of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the police. In addition, during the search for prisoners and missing persons, our lawyers seek help from representatives of the National Bureau of Investigation. His specialization is the collection of all available information on the search for both military personnel and civilians.

Peculiarities of the legal status of missing persons

The search for missing servicemen is carried out in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Persons Who Have Disappeared Under Special Circumstances”. Certain changes were made to this Law in April 2022. War actions, armed conflicts, occupation, man-made or natural emergencies are indicated as special circumstances.

All information about missing military personnel is entered into the Register of Missing Persons. As for reliable information about the death of a serviceman, it is currently confirmed only by the results of the analysis of his remains. Unfortunately, there is currently no single procedure for identifying remains by DNA. Relatives are far from always oriented as to where DNA should be submitted. There is no single base. This significantly complicates the search. That is why it is very important to enlist the support of a professional lawyer who will help to greatly simplify this unpleasant procedure.

If, during the search, it was established that a serviceman is in captivity, the state makes the necessary efforts for his exchange and return home. This work is done constantly.

Assistance of professional lawyers in the search for prisoners/missing persons

Specialists of our Prykhodko and Partners law firm have extensive practical experience in the search for captured/missing military personnel. We will be able to advise you on any issues and develop an effective military search algorithm in close cooperation with state authorities and in the current legal field.

Do you still have questions? We are waiting for a preliminary consultation! Fill out the form below to calculate the cost of legal services for searching for captured/missing military personnel.