Russia is struggling to find its missing soldiers
Vladimir Putin’s war has left thousands of searching families in limbo

KAMONIN ALEKSANDROVICH disappeared in the Donetsk region in winter. On February 22nd last year, as Ukraine repelled Russian assaults along the front line across eastern Ukraine, his unit was involved in fierce fighting. According to his family, Kamonin was badly injured. “He went out with his unit on the mission, he had no documents with him,” they wrote on an online message board. Their son did not return from the battle; and like dozens more he simply disappeared.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “In limbo”
Europe April 13th 2024
More from Europe

Russia’s bloody summer offensive is hurting Ukraine
Kremlin troops are making gains in the Donbas region

How much of a difference will Ukraine’s new F-16s make?
Too few to beat Russia’s air force, but a strong symbolic start

Some Germans think the hostage exchange with Russia was a dirty deal
But preserving good relations with America was more important
The deal that freed Evan Gershkovich was more than a prisoner swap
It freed Russian prisoners of conscience as well as Westerners taken hostage by Vladimir Putin
The Olympics are teaching the French to cheer again
France’s politics is a mess, but the games are glorious
Humiliated by Azerbaijan, Armenia tacks towards the West
Courting the EU and America without alienating Russia is a difficult trick