Ukrainian Government Urges Citizens Not To Post Details Of Missing Soldiers And People

President Volodymyr Zelensky met the Ukrainian army. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian government on Wednesday urged citizens not to post details about missing soldiers and civilians, saying this could help Russia.

It said uploading details made it easier for Russia to identify valuable prisoners, tracking down those trying to evade arrest.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said people are turning to social media for more information, especially about soldiers being held captive or missing.

"Why is such a post dangerous? The bottom line is this particular person may indeed be in captivity, but the enemy considers him a civilian," she wrote on Telegram.

"Or, the person may simply be hiding in temporarily occupied territory and looking for a way to return. By publishing data and images of such people, you are providing the enemy with a reference point for the search."

She further explained, publishing details about prisoners' personal lives, political views, social status, or employment history, greatly complicates the release process and often puts their lives at risk.

"This encourages enemies to research specific people, and as a result, demands for their exchange are higher, and the process itself becomes very complicated," she said, noting that Russia has so far exchanged 1,030 Ukrainian men and women.

She added that Ukrainians who are concerned about people they can't track should turn to a special unit that the Defense Ministry has set up to deal with prisoners of war.