Ukraine launches project for relatives of missing, killed and captured Russian servicemen

Andriy Yusov, representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), announced the information, RBC-Ukraine reports.

According to him, the I Want to Find project will work similarly to the I Want to Live project, which is designed for Russian soldiers who want to surrender.

"Different tools are used, and I Want to Live has been working since September. The goal is to help Russians who find themselves in the ranks of the aggressor state's army, those who do not want to get their hands dirty with blood, to be under the protection of Ukraine," Yusov reminded.

He highlighted that Russia predominantly refrains from communicating with the family members of military personnel, withholding information about their well-being, including those who are missing, captured, or killed. 

"There was a situation when relatives turned to I Want to Live en masse. Ukraine handed over bodies to Russia, but relatives received no information," Yusov noted.

That is why it was decided to launch a separate project.

"If Russia fails to fulfill its obligations to its citizens, Ukraine is ready to provide information about the Russian military. We are initiating the project I Want to Find, where Russians can apply for information that the aggressor state is hiding from them," the DIU representative said.

The I Want to Find project is set to operate through a chatbot on Telegram. Additionally, a dedicated website will be available to serve the same purpose.

• On September 1, 2023, Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that Ukraine had problems with the exchange fund, and that Russia did not want to take its prisoners of war back. 
• Later, Ukrainian intelligence stated that the number of requests to the I Want to Live program had doubled, and that over 170 Russian military personnel were now surrendering themselves every day.