Approximately 48,000 russian occupiers are considered missing in action in Ukraine, as stated by Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivileva during a roundtable discussion in the russian State Duma on November 26.
She noted that the families of these 48,000 servicemen, who were sent to the zone of the so-called "special military operation", have submitted requests to provide biomaterial for DNA testing. "We take DNA samples from all relatives who come to us; they submit them free of charge. A total of 48,000 relatives have reached out", - Tsivileva explained.
Under russian regulations, families can only submit biomaterial for free if the serviceman in question is officially listed as "missing in action".
Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma's Defense Committee, requested the removal of these figures from official documents. "Colleagues, I strongly urge that these numbers of missing persons not appear anywhere. This information is highly sensitive and classified. When drafting final documents, ensure these figures do not circulate anywhere", - he insisted.
The roundtable's broadcast was initially available on the State Duma's website but was later removed. However, it was recorded by a viewer of the "Astra" Telegram channel.