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If a foreign service member goes missing or is captured, the military unit is required to notify their family. The notification procedure differs depending on where the service member served (Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), State Special Transport Service (SSTS)), but in most cases the military unit does not contact the family directly. 

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service, the military unit sends notices of disappearance or capture of the service member:

In the National Guard of Ukraine, the military unit informs the diplomatic mission of the foreign service member’s country in Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

After receiving the information, the foreigner’s diplomatic mission or consulate must contact their family. However, in some countries, other authorities handle this: For example, in Germany, the police handle the notification; in France, a special crisis center is in charge of this.

The official process may take a long time, and in some cases the embassy may refuse to notify the family, or it may be impossible to do so. In such cases, the military unit may directly contact the service member’s family using the contact details provided during enlistment.

The military unit is also obliged to inform the family about the service member’s personal belongings and documents and decide what to do with them. In practice, this process is complicated, as it is not always possible to send all belongings abroad. Delivery costs are covered by the family.

The primary source of information about a service member’s disappearance is the military unit. After receiving the notice, you may submit a written request to the unit for information about the circumstances of disappearance/capture and to obtain an extract from the order confirming disappearance or capture of your relative.

Send the request to the address of the military unit where the service member served. If you cannot find the address, send the request to:

After establishing the fact of disappearance or capture, the National Police of Ukraine must initiate a criminal investigation (open a criminal case) to determine the service member’s whereabouts.

The military unit informs the National Police of Ukraine about the disappearance or capture. However, any person may also submit such a report.

If you wish to report it to the police in person and are in Ukraine, go to the nearest police department and report the disappearance or capture (see the map of departments). Be sure to provide all known circumstances, distinguishing features, and photos of tattoos or other identifying marks. 

If you are abroad, you can report it by sending a report (request) in Ukrainian to: info@police.gov.ua 

After accepting the report, you should be informed within 24 hours about the start of the investigation and provided with an official document confirming it (an extract from the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations).

To submit motions or access case materials, you must obtain victim status. To do this, submit a request to the investigator in Ukrainian asking to be recognized as a victim.

You may collect information and take other actions in Ukraine on your own or through a representative, such as a Ukrainian attorney (check via the Unified Register of Attorneys of Ukraine), or the free legal aid (FLA).

If you are in Ukraine and are a blood relative (parent/child/sibling), you should provide DNA samples immediately when contacting the police.

Outside Ukraine, DNA sampling is also possible, in particular:

This extract is an official confirmation of missing status. Write an application in Ukrainian requesting the extract and attach copies of documents proving your identity (passport) and documents proving your family relationship to the missing person. Send the application to: pgmia@mvs.gov.ua.

You can also contact the Commissioner for Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances with questions regarding the search for and information about a missing or captured service member at the official email address (bezvisty.info@mvs.gov.ua). The Commissioner collects all available official information from the Ukrainian state authorities and provides updates on actions taken in the search process.

Submit a report about the disappearance or capture to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The application must follow the form indicated on the Coordination Headquarters’ website. Send it to the below email: koord.sk3@gur.gov.ua. 

Within three business days, representatives of the Coordination Headquarters will contact you and provide information already collected about your relative, as well as answer any questions you may have regarding the next steps in the process.

6. Contacting the Central Tracing Agency of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Fill out the online form on the ICRC website regarding the foreigner’s disappearance for possible further notification of the family about captivity. This body is authorized to transmit information from the aggressor state and confirm captivity on that side.

This body was established and operates in accordance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians during wartime.

Through this Bureau, you can obtain up-to-date information about the status of your relative. To do this, you need to register on their official website, National Information Bureau and submit an application using the form. You may also send an inquiry to their email address: info@nib.gov.ua.

The Working Group helps determine the fate or whereabouts of service members. It receives, reviews, and transmits reports of enforced disappearances submitted by relatives or human rights organizations to states, requesting investigations, searches, and reporting of results. It does not return individuals from captivity but may obtain information about your relative’s health status.

Submit a request here: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Submission of information to Special Procedures.

If you suspect that your relative is in captivity, send a report to the Joint Center for Coordination of the Search For and Release of Prisoners of War and Illegally Detained Persons As a Result of Aggression Against Ukraine.

This agency facilitates the return of service members from captivity and is involved in the process of repatriating the remains.

If you have unofficial information (for example, you monitored open sources or received messages, photos, or videos from third parties), report it to the relevant Ukrainian authorities for proper verification. 

There are currently many cases of fraud, where people promise to return a relative from captivity in exchange for money: under no circumstances should you transfer funds, and you should report such fraud to the National Police of Ukraine.

Priority actions if you receive information about captivity:

1. Contact the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Follow the same procedure as for a missing person.

2. Contact the Joint Center for Coordination of the Search For and Release of Prisoners of War and Illegally Detained Persons As a Result of Aggression Against Ukraine in accordance with the missing persons procedure.

3. Contact the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by filling out the relevant form.

A written appeal to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and to the Joint Center for Coordination of the Search For and Release of Prisoners of War and Illegally Detained Persons As a Result of Aggression Against Ukraine must be clear and concise. You must indicate where you obtained information about the captivity and what evidence supports it.

If you receive a photo or video in which you recognize the missing relative:

The police officer (investigator) must respond to the request within 3 days.

If they deny the examination, send the request to:

Requirements for the photo or video: The face must be clearly visible to allow identification. If multiple people appear in the frame, clearly indicate who should be identified (describe their position in the frame or clothing details).

Provide recent quality photos of the relative taken before disappearance. The angle should match the angle in the photo/video confirming captivity (e.g., if the first photo was a side view, provide a similar side view photo of the relative).

If the facial expert examination confirms the missing person’s identity, the expert’s conclusion becomes evidence of captivity. Obtain a copy of the conclusion and send it to the National Information Bureau at: info@nib.gov.ua. This will help establish your relative’s location more quickly.

If you have unofficial information (for example, you monitored open sources or received messages, photos, or videos from third parties), report it to the relevant Ukrainian authorities for proper verification. 

There are currently many cases of fraud, where people promise to return a relative from captivity in exchange for money: under no circumstances should you transfer funds, and you should report such fraud to the National Police of Ukraine.

While a service member is considered missing or is in captivity, their family has the right to receive a portion of their monetary remuneration (salary).

If the service member prepared a personal directive in advance (a document in which the service member specifies who they would like to receive their salary in the event of disappearance or captivity), then the funds are paid to those individuals and in the shares they specified. 

If no personal directive was prepared, 50% of the monetary remuneration is distributed equally among:

If none of the above persons exist, then 20% is distributed among adult children and siblings for whom the service member is the legal representative.

The remaining is retained in the service member’s special account.

You may also waive the payment of monetary remuneration or simply refrain from submitting the request for payment. However, please note that it is not permitted to waive the share of monetary remuneration belonging to minor children of the service member.

 To receive payments:

In practice, payments may be waived if documents are submitted through a representative whose authority or documents are improperly executed. The process of obtaining a tax number, opening a bank account, and collecting all necessary documents may take quite a long time.