Thousands of people have gone missing as a result of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine: the official sources provide data of around 15 000 people missing but the real numbers are likely much higher. These include Ukrainian children abducted and deported to the Russian Federation from the occupied territories, a major genocidal crime.
A key actor assisting the Ukrainian government in accounting for the people missing is the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), which has supported Ukraine for a number of years, starting from the 2014 MH17 downing. Now, the ICMP is finalizing the cooperation agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, after which the organization will be able to fully roll out its activities in terms of the search for the missing persons. This is an unprecedented case when the Ukrainian government has started investigation into the cases of missing people and invites the assistance from the ICMP while Russia’s armed invasion still continues, Matthew Holliday, Head of ICMP European Programs, underlines.
The case of systematic deportation of Ukranian children and their forcible integration in Russia, one of the criteria to define Russia’s actions as genocide, is of a special importance. The Russian Federation limits the access to the so-called “evacuation” process, so the number of the deported children is difficult to identify but Ukrainian human right experts name the overwhelming estimates of 300-700 thousand. Where Ukrainian children are deported, the conditions they are kept in, and the process of their return to Ukraine, a legal expert at Ukraine’s Regional Centre for Human Rights outlines in Ukraine In Flames 306.
UKRAINE IN FLAMES project is created by Ukraine Crisis Media Center and NGO “Euroatlantic Course”. We are aiming at searching a loud support for Ukraine in the war started by Russia on the 24th of February 2022.
If you want to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, check the link with recommendations by Ukraine Crisis Media Center – https://uacrisis.org/en/help-ukraine.
NGO Euroatlantic Course collects donations to support Ukrainian Army and civilians – https://eac.org.ua/en/main-page/.
How you can help Ukraine against Russian aggression:
👉🏻 Come back alive – https://bit.ly/3Ct6O2L (works directly with the command and personnel of military units, purchasing infrared thermal imaging cameras, night vision goggles, hemostatics etc);
👉🏻 CO Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation – https://bit.ly/3Svas1G (purchases supplies for Ukrainian army, such as armor, ammunition, first-aid kits, cars and ATV, humanitarian aid for civilians, and food for animals);
👉🏻 UNITED 24 – https://bit.ly/3M2mXiT (was launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. Funds will be transferred to the official accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated by assigned ministries to cover the most pressing needs)
👉🏻 Army SOS – https://bit.ly/3UYK168 (manages purchases of necessary ammunition, shields, intercommunication and reconnaissance facilities, etc. and delivers all goods directly);
👉🏻 Vostok SOS – https://bit.ly/3Ruut75 (raising funds for various needs of the army);
👉🏻 Phoenix Wings – https://bit.ly/3RvWSd0 (the appropriate equipment & uniform, personal non-lethal protection (vests, helmets), required treatment of the wounded soldiers, and repair of the buildings used by the army).