The families of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers The missing live the agony of uncertainty as they wait for months and years for confirmation that their loved ones are in Russian captivity or fell on the battlefield.
Several dozen banners, each with 3-4 photos, have been set up in a sunny park in Lviv. Some of the portraits of men in military uniform have small religious icons and Ukrainian flags next to them.
“Where are you Dad?”reads the inscription on one of them. This is the question that the families of the missing soldiers of the 24th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army, based in this western region, are seeking an answer to in vain.
A difficult wait
“I never let go of the phone because news can come at any time,” Tetiana Pastuj told EFE.
Despite Russia’s poor treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Artur Spirin’s wife would be happy to hear that he is in captivity after more than two years of waiting for any information about him.
Spirin, an artist who primarily works in wood, joined the brigade on the first day of the invasion, at a time when weapons and training were in short supply. “Ordinary men and women took up rifles and went to defend Ukraine”Pastuj says.
Like many of those pictured in the park, Spirin disappeared in April 2022 when Russia managed to expel Ukrainian forces from the devastated town of Popasna in the eastern Luhansk region.
“The lack of news about their fate is what has been killing us the most,” shares Pastuj.
Once all the necessary documents and DNA samples have been handed over to the responsible agencies, families turn to specialised Russian Telegram channels, where they sift through hundreds of photos and videos of captive and dead Ukrainian soldiers in the hope – or fear – of finding a familiar face.
However, only on rare occasions does the Russian side officially confirm that it is holding someone in captivity, Tetiana says.
Holding on to hope
By October, the number of missing soldiers had risen to 15,000. It was the last time Ukraine released a number. However, new photographs are being added to the banners as more soldiers go missing.
Other portraits are removed when some return in rare exchanges or their lifeless bodies are identified.
A woman, also named Tetiana, stands with her mother next to a portrait of Maksim Mashkara, her 20-year-old son. It has been exactly one year since they heard anything about him before the positions he was defending were taken by Russian forces.
“I refuse to believe what I have discovered”says Tetiana. On one of the Russian Telegram channels she came across a video in which a captured soldier from Maksim’s unit claimed that everyone else had been killed.
“We tell other families that they should not give up hope until they see the body”stresses, however, her namesake, Tetiana Pastuj.
While various units work to recover the bodies of the fallen, some remain out of reach, in occupied zones or zones not under the control of either side. Exchanges of bodies between Ukraine and Russia also take place, but DNA analysis takes time to complete due to the state of decomposition, dismemberment or burns on the bodies.
According to Pastuj, some of the soldiers are declared dead by Russian sources, but later return alive or turn out to be in captivity.
“The Russians are doing this to kill us morally,” Tetiana suggests.
Russia’s lack of information sharing leads to the belief that more than 1,000 have gone missing in action. 25% of those who later return in prisoner of war exchanges, Olena Beliachkova, from the Human Rights Media Initiative, explained to EFE.
This lack of information, while painful, also means that families are hopeful of recovering their husbands, fathers or sons. “I feel with all my heart that he is alive and that he will return home soon,” Pastuj says about her husband.
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Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
