Statement by Chargée d’Affaires Khrystyna Hayovyshyn  

at the UNGA79 Informal Meeting to brief the Assembly on the comprehensive report of the SG on the implementation of the resolution “Missing Persons”

2 April 2025

President,

Ukraine aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union.

We thank High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for the briefing and for convening this timely meeting. For Ukraine, facing continued Russian Federation’s war of aggression, the issue of missing persons is particularly acute.

To date, over 63,000 Ukrainians are officially registered as missing, though the real number is likely much higher. 10 300 of them have been identified as deceased.

A core obstacle to locating the missing is Russia’s persistent refusal to confirm detentions and its continued practice of incommunicado detention of both civilians and military personnel. The UN, the ICRC and other international actors are consistently denied access to places of detention.

Thousands of Ukrainians are inhumanely held – subjected to torture, denied legal representation and unable to communicate with their families. Over 16 000 Ukrainian civilians are currently held in Russian custody.

The Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine recently concluded that the enforced disappearance of civilians is part of a coordinated Russian state policy and amounts to crimes against humanity.

All arbitrarily detained civilians must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Ukraine provides full access to all facilities holding Russian POWs and civilians.

Another urgent issue is reuniting 20 000 Ukrainian children forcibly transferred or deported by Russia. Moscow continues to obstruct efforts to locate and return them to their families.

President,

Identifying the deceased remains a critical challenge. Ukraine is establishing a national DNA database—an extensive and resource-heavy effort—for which we are grateful for international support. However, Russia’s destruction of evidence and denial of access to temporarily occupied territories further impedes this work.

In conclusion, Ukraine is making every effort to address this grave issue. We are working tirelessly to free all defenders and unlawfully detained civilians, to bring home deported children, and return the remains of fallen soldiers for a dignified burial.

Ukraine is grateful to all partners supporting these efforts and continue close cooperation with governments, the UN, the ICRC, and other international organizations and civil society organizations. Given the scale of the challenge, sustained and strengthened international support remains essential.

The international community must hold Russia Federation accountable, demand an end to its war against Ukraine, and ensure compliance with international law.

Thank you.