Commissioner for Issues of Persons Disappeared Under Special Circumstances Oleh Kotenko will submit his resignation. He made this decision after the government limited his powers.
"Currently, the commissioner is on a business trip to the liberated territories of the Donetsk region. He will submit his resignation upon his return. However, from the date of its approval, Oleh Kotenkoʼs team will continue to help family members of the missing in the form of community service. As before, everyone can contact us with their problem. From our side, we will do everything to help you," the commissionerʼs team noted.
Now negotiations with the Russian Federation on the return of bodies will be conducted by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the activities of search groups will be transferred to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the work with the Unified Register of Missing Persons, created by Kotenko, will be conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Persons who disappeared in connection with an armed conflict, military operations, temporary occupation of a part of the territory of Ukraine, natural or man-made emergencies are considered missing under special circumstances.
- In May 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that almost 24 000 Ukrainians were considered missing under special circumstances.