The number of reports of missing Russian soldiers under the age of 25 is rising
In 2026, Ukraine received a record number of requests from Russian citizens seeking information on servicemen aged 18 to 24 who went missing during the war against Ukraine. These are soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces whose families are trying to locate them through the Ukrainian project “I Want to Find.”
Since the project began, it has received over 205,000 requests to locate missing Russian soldiers. The largest increase has been in requests regarding young Russian soldiers.
In 2026, Ukraine recorded the highest number of requests from Russians to locate soldiers aged 18 to 24 who went missing during the war. This was reported on July 17 by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on Telegram. The requests are being received as part of the “I Want to Find” project, which helps Russian citizens obtain information about their relatives who went missing during the hostilities in Ukraine.
Over 205,000 requests since the project began
The “I Want to Find” project began operations in January 2024. Since then, it has received 205,999 requests to locate Russian servicemen who are considered missing in action. While analyzing the requests, the project coordinators noted a significant increase in the number of inquiries regarding young Russian servicemen. In 2024, requests regarding occupiers aged 18 to 24 accounted for 8.5% of all inquiries. After the start of the Kursk operation in August 2024, this figure rose to 16%.
The project attributes this to the fact that the Russian command deployed a significant number of conscripts to combat operations. In 2025, such reports accounted for 13% of the total, and by 2026, this figure had risen to 15.2%.
Russia Is More Actively Enlisting Young People in the War
“I Want to Find” notes that the number of such requests may continue to increase. According to project representatives, Russian authorities are more actively recruiting young people to participate in the war in an effort to compensate for the Russian Armed Forces’ losses on the front lines. “The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to force conscripts to sign contracts. In addition, over the past six months, the Ministry of Defense has been actively recruiting students across Russia under the guise of service in the unmanned aerial vehicle forces,” the “I Want to Find” project stated.
Relatives are trying to find missing soldiers
The “I Want to Find” project was created to help relatives of Russian servicemen obtain information about the fate of those missing in the war. Among those being sought are both contract soldiers and conscripts. Many families in Russia have no official information about what happened to their loved ones after they were sent to the front lines.
The Coordination Headquarters emphasizes that requests from Russians continue to come in regularly, and the growing number of young soldiers among the missing is causing the greatest concern. According to the project, this trend may intensify as Russia continues to recruit new soldiers to participate in the war against Ukraine. This was reported on the Telegram channel of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
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