The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The family of Nazar Daletskyi, a serviceman who had been considered dead but returned from Russian captivity, is not required to return state payments.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine emphasized it has no legal grounds or intention to review the decision granting financial assistance to his family or to demand repayment.
What happened
On February 5, 2026, Nazar Daletskyi returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. Since September 2022 he had been considered dead. In 2023, burial procedures were carried out after DNA identification.
Public discussions arose regarding whether the family might be required to return payments received following his presumed death.
“For the Ministry of Defense, an unconditional priority is protecting the rights of servicemen and their families. The return of a defender previously believed dead is an extraordinary event. Further traumatization of the family is unacceptable”, — the statement says.
The ministry noted the payments were made according to the law and based on circumstances officially established at that time. There are no legal grounds for revisiting the decision.
This situation is unique and contains a legal collision requiring a delicate and balanced approach. The circumstances of establishing the fact of death require further study.
The Ministry continues to monitor the situation until all details are clarified.
