Unaccounted Ukrainians After Invasion Highlight Ongoing Struggles

Four years after the invasion of Ukraine, many individuals who once lived in institutional settings remain unaccounted for. This issue continues to cause distress among their families and highlights a significant concern in Ukraine.

Hanna Zamyshliaieva, a mother from southern Ukraine, has been overwhelmed with worry about her severely disabled son’s whereabouts since the Russian invasion. She, along with two other women, are determined not to give up their search for missing loved ones.

I am here to fight for the return of my child, said Ms. Zamyshliaieva. I don’t know where my son is, what’s going on with him, or if he’s still alive.

Accompanied by another mother and a grandmother, Ms. Zamyshliaieva traveled to Kyiv to raise awareness about their situations at a news conference. Their family members, all in their 20s, were residing in a specialized care home in Oleshky, located in the Kherson province, during the Russian attack in 2022. The residents were transferred without any communication with their families.

The issue of deportation has been deeply painful for many Ukrainians. It remains a source of contention between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities estimate that 19,500 children were forcibly taken from schools and institutions across occupied territories following the invasion. This led to a war crimes arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court against Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and his aide, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the deportation of some to Russia.