People were urged not to transfer funds to criminals who profit from someone else’s grief.

The state does not take money from the families for the return of the body of the deceased or the exchange of the captive, only swindlers can demand money for this, so in such cases it is necessary to contact the police.

This is stated in a message on the Telegram channel of the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. The Office of the Commissioner for Missing Persons notes that the state does not take any money from the families for the return of bodies or the exchange of prisoners.

“We urge people not to transfer money to swindlers who profit from someone else’s grief. If someone offers you to return the body for a reward, contact the National Police urgently,” the message reads.

Oleg Kotenko, the Commissioner for Missing Persons, noted that the return of bodies and exchanges of prisoners of war are handled by relevant state structures. “Scammers who disguise themselves as volunteers and demand money for the exchange or transfer of bodies should be punished in accordance with the current legislation,” he emphasized.

News about Ukrainian prisoners and dead – what you need to know

As reported, on January 24, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubynets noted that the Ukrainian delegation handed over to the Russian Federation a list of 748 seriously ill and seriously wounded defenders of Ukraine who are in captivity. This is done in order to verify them, establish their whereabouts and state of health.

As the ombudsman noted, the results of checking this list, as well as the list of wounded Russian prisoners of war provided to the Ukrainian side, will be the subject of further negotiations on this issue.

According to the Ministry of Reintegration, almost 1,600 people were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity in 2022.