Restoring family links and tracing prisoners of war
In view of the Ukrainian crisis, many people are unable to contact their relatives due to disruptions of communication in their locations, blocked calls between Russia and Ukraine, or the lack of a mobile phone or inability to charge it.
Causes of the loss of family ties
- No communication due to blocked calls
- Phone dead or broken
- Many people do not remember by heart the contacts of their family members and cannot always contact them, even if they are in a more stable environment or there are people nearby who could give them a phone to make a call or send messages.
In this connection there is a need to develop the activity of restoring family links.
After all, people who find themselves in such a difficult situation desperately need the support of their loved ones.
For tracing your relatives, you can contact the Russian Red Cross via the following channels:
The Russian Red Cross hotline for restoring family links (RFL)
Toll-free number:
8 (800) 700-44-50 (ext. 1)
8 (800) 700-44-50 (ext. 1)
E-mail address: rfl@redcross.ru
The Russian Red Cross hotline RFL for assistance to victims of the Ukrainian crisis operates throughout Russia daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Moscow time.
The requests are sent the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency via a secure system ASPERA.
Tracing and Information Center (TIC) of The Russian Red Cross
Contact number: +7 (495) 621-71-75
E-mail address: ticrrcs@mail.ru
The requests are sent the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency via a secure system ASPERA. Specialists at the center provide up-to-date information and offer applicants various options for independent obtaining information concerning their relatives (for instance, where shall they apply to if a relative is kept prisoner or had reported being evacuated), as well as directly accept requests for tracing people.
Please note that the Russian Red Cross is not responsible for tracing prisoners of war.
In order to submit a request to trace for relatives who are allegedly kept prisoners, you can apply to:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Contact number:
+7 (495) 626-54-26
+7 (495) 626-54-26
Please note that this online form is for family members only.
To the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation (CHR)
You can apply electronically through the online reception desk
The Office of the CHR collectively with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, created a special working group that systematically reviews and routes incoming requests from people.
The Office of the CHR collectively with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, created a special working group that systematically reviews and routes incoming requests from people.
It is preferable to submit a request through the Internet reception desk since:
- CHR hotline is sometimes overloaded;
- an electronic request eliminates the possibility of errors in data transmission.