In an interview with "ArmyInform," Bogdan Okhrimenko, the head of the Secretariat of the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, shared insights on this matter.
He explained that relatives of missing Russian soldiers have started reaching out to the "I Want to Live" hotline to inquire about their loved ones' fates. Initially, a phone line was established for this purpose, followed by a separate project called "I Want to Find."
Currently, the project has received requests regarding 50,000 missing Russian soldiers. However, the actual number could be significantly higher, as this only includes information about those whose relatives "are not afraid to contact" the "I Want to Live" project.
Bogdan Okhrimenko added that recently, at a closed meeting in the State Duma, Russian politicians disclosed figures indicating there are 48,000 Russians missing.
According to estimates from the Coordinating Headquarters, there are more than 100,000 Russians in total who are unaccounted for, not including those already confirmed dead.
"A significant number of missing Russians are scattered across our fields, and their remains are dispersed by dogs. Their identification is of no interest to Russia," Okhrimenko explained.
He stated that, thanks to the "I Want to Find" project, it is now possible to demonstrate to the global community how Russia handles its citizens, indicating they are not interested in acknowledging them as deceased in order to avoid paying the corresponding financial support to their population.
"It is advantageous for them to consider the soldiers as missing. Commanders continue to receive financial allowances for them. The families receive nothing," he added.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported that throughout 2024, the Ukrainian Defense Forces neutralized 430,790 Russian occupiers. This roughly equates to the number of nearly 36 motorized rifle divisions of the Russian Ground Forces.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from the beginning of the full-scale invasion until January 3, 2025, the Russian army lost 793,250 soldiers.