Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk chaired a meeting with the families of the warriors who were reported missing.
The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Joint Center for Coordination of Search and Release of Individuals Unlawfully Deprived of Liberty due to Russian Armed Aggression under the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Information Bureau, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and civil society.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the algorithms of interaction between the Coordination Headquarters and the Joint Center of the SSU, mechanisms of searching for missing defenders, as well as DNA analysis and expediting the receipt of the relevant conclusion.
The participants decided to submit a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada, stipulating criminal proceedings concerning the disappearance of defenders, initiated by investigators based on family reports, to be conducted at the family’s place of residence. The draft law will be prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs together with the MPs.
“This will facilitate communication between relatives and investigators regarding examinations, certificates, etc. It is very important that this decision is developed as soon as possible, and that the law itself is adopted without delay,” Iryna Vereshchuk emphasized.
In addition, a unified online platform will be launched to consolidate information from all services in one place. It is expected to become operational within a month.
Another focus of the discussions was payments to the families of fallen warriors. By the end of the year, amendments to Resolution No. 168 of February 28, 2022, will be adopted. They are needed to ensure that if a missing warrior is declared dead, the family does not lose the right to payments and has enough time to submit a relevant request.