In Israel, there are families for whom the war in Ukraine has not ended even thousands of kilometers away. Their loved one is out of contact. In one case, it is known that the person was captured by Russia; in another, there is not even confirmation of whether he is alive. What should relatives do, where to seek information, and can help be obtained while in Israel?
Author: Elena Gunko | NAnews
This is exactly what the Ukrainian human rights activist Yevhen Zakharov, head of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, will discuss on October 20, 2026, in Haifa and October 22, 2026, in Tel Aviv.
The meetings are organized by the public organization “Israeli Friends of Ukraine” in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel. Anna Zharova announced their holding, also publishing links for registration. They invite not only those whose relatives are missing or in captivity but also people willing to help.
Who is Yevhen Zakharov
Zakharov has been involved in human rights work not since the beginning of the current war. Even in Soviet times, he participated in dissident circles and helped people persecuted for their beliefs. In the late 1980s, he worked at the Kharkiv “Memorial,” and in 1992 he became one of the founders of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group (KHRG).
Over the past decades, the organization has grown into one of Ukraine’s well-known human rights structures. After the Russian invasion, its employees collect evidence of illegal detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and other crimes, provide legal assistance to victims, and seek protection for civilians and prisoners of war.
Working with documents here is not a formality: without information about a person and the circumstances of their disappearance, it can be difficult to even start a substantive conversation about further actions.
More about the organization’s work can be found on the official website of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group.
Why meetings are needed specifically in Israel
In August 2026, Anna Zharova reminds us, more than 114,000 people were listed as missing under special circumstances in Ukraine.
It is important not to confuse this figure with the number of prisoners of war: this is a Ukrainian legal category covering various cases of disappearance, including those related to the war, and the fate of many people has not yet been established.
Behind each case are relatives who may live in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Haifa, or Tel Aviv.
Israelis especially understand the burden of waiting for news about a captive or abducted loved one. But the Ukrainian legal system, search procedures, and channels of appeal differ from the Israeli ones. For a family living here, distance, the language of official documents, and the lack of contacts with Ukrainian institutions can become additional obstacles.
NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency has already reported on how the Israeli series “Hatufim” helps the Ukrainian audience talk about returning from captivity, and about attempts to draw international attention to Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Now it’s not about public statements, but about the opportunity to personally ask a specialist a specific question.
What can be asked
According to the organizers, Zakharov will explain how the search for missing persons is conducted, what assistance opportunities are available for the families of prisoners and released individuals, and where to seek support.
Participants will be able to ask their own questions.
It is especially useful to record in advance the dates of the last contact, known circumstances of disappearance, and already made inquiries: this way the conversation will be more substantive. Publishing personal data of a loved one in open comments is not necessary.
Do not expect promises of quick release or confirmation of the fate of a specific person from the meeting. But learning what actions are possible and whom to contact is already an important result for a family that remains alone with uncertainty for a long time.
Where and when the meetings will take place — addresses and registration
Haifa — October 20, 2026, Tuesday
- Time: 19:00.
- Address: Derech Ha-Atsmaut, 60, Haifa.
- Meeting language: Russian.
- Registration: fill out the form to participate in Haifa.
Tel Aviv — October 22, 2026, Thursday
- Time: 19:00.
- Place: Ukrainian Cultural Center, Yermiyahu Street, 24.
- Meeting language: Ukrainian.
- Registration: fill out the form to participate in Tel Aviv.
The organizers of both meetings are the Ukrainian Cultural Development Center in Haifa We Are Together ן Мы Вместе אנחנו יחד ן and the NGO “Israeli Friends of Ukraine” in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel.
Additional details are published in Anna Zharova’s Facebook post.
Other Ukrainian cultural and public events can be found with the project partner — sTDe | NAnews — Israel event calendar.
Such meetings do not have an easy ending. A person may leave without news of their loved one. But at least they should not leave without understanding where to continue the search and who can help.