Features The voices of missing Ukrainians in Russian captivity

Ukrainian authorities estimate that at least 16,000 civilians have been abducted and are currently being unlawfully detained by Russia. Russia refuses to disclose the whereabouts of those it holds in captivity, with the obvious intention of placing these “disappeared” people outside the protection of the law. This is argued by the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG), a Ukrainian human rights organization that, among other things, tries to locate missing Ukrainians, documents disappearances, supports families, and collects evidence that can be used in future legal processes.

Published in the printed edition of Baltic Worlds BW 2026 vol. 19 no. 3-4, pages 37-40
Published on balticworlds.com on November 6, 2026

Ukrainian authorities estimate that at least 16,000 civilians have been abducted and are currently being unlawfully detained by Russia. Russia refuses to disclose the whereabouts of those it holds in captivity, with the obvious intention of placing these “disappeared” people outside the protection of the law. This is argued by the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG), a Ukrainian human rights organization that, among other things, tries to locate missing Ukrainians, documents disappearances, supports families, and collects evidence that can be used in future legal processes.

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Ninna Mörner