March 2025 saw a record number of reports about missing Russian soldiers submitted to Ukraine’s Want to Find project, according to the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War.
In March alone, the project logged 10,027 new cases—the highest monthly figure to date—with an average of over 320 new requests daily.
These numbers do not include confirmed death rate and may represent only a third to half of actual disappearances, as many families have yet to come forward.
Most recent inquiries concerned soldiers from Russia’s 74th and 15th Motorized Rifle Brigades, which have suffered heavy losses. The number of missing in the 30th Brigade doubled compared to February. The highest volume of cases was linked to fighting in Pokrovsk (2,144 requests) and Bakhmut (933) districts of Donetsk Oblast. Notably, 141 missing soldiers were reported from the 810th Russian Marine Brigade, many believed lost during operations near Kursk Oblast.
The project also highlights Russia’s disproportionate reliance on ethnic minorities. In March alone, 469 missing person requests were submitted from Bashkortostan, a 30% increase over February, underscoring the continued use of minority populations as frontline troops.
To date, Ukraine has confirmed 2,057 Russian soldiers as prisoners of war. This recognition enables families to press Russian authorities for POW status and repatriation. Of these, 529 have already been exchanged for captured Ukrainian defenders.
