Save your relative or friend

My Relative Was Recruited Into the Russian Army — How to save them?

If your relative has been recruited into the Russian Armed Forces — whether voluntarily, under false pretenses, or through coercion — there are three immediate steps you should take.

1

Contact your country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Report the case to your national Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as possible. Provide all information you have: your relative's full name, date of birth, passport number, the date they traveled to Russia, and any last known location or unit information.

2

Contact your country's embassy in Russia directly

Reach out to your national embassy in Moscow and request consular access to your relative. Embassies have the legal right to request information on the whereabouts and condition of their citizens.

3

Contact the I Want to Live project

The I Want to Live project is a Ukrainian state initiative intended for servicemen of the Russian armed forces willing to voluntarily surrender into captivity.

The project will help your relative or friend to safely surrender into captivity to avoid getting killed or wounded on the battlefield.

Compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war, regardless of citizenship or nationality is guaranteed by Ukraine. Your friend or relative will be detained in decent conditions under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international human rights organizations. Three meals a day, medical care and ability to maintain regular contact with their family is also guaranteed.

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