Baku: As of June 30, 2026, a total of 4,010 people have been registered as missing due to Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, as reported by Sharafat Hasanov, Deputy Head of the State Security Service. Hasanov made the announcement at an international conference titled "Modern Approaches to Resolving the Issue of Missing Persons and Strengthening Cooperation," organized in partnership with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), according to APA.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Hasanov detailed that out of the 4,010 missing persons, 4,004 disappeared during the First Karabakh War, while 6 went missing during the 44-day Second Karabakh War in 2020. The missing comprise 3,228 military personnel and 782 civilians, which include 71 minors, 288 women, and 319 elderly individuals.

In a move to address the issue, a framework agreement titled 'Collection and Centralized Management of Ante Mortem Data on Missing Persons' was signed in 2008 between the State Commission and the International Committee of the Red Cross Representation in Azerbaijan. This led to the initiation of biological sample collection from close relatives of missing Azerbaijani citizens in 2014.

Since 2023, these efforts have been bolstered by the establishment of a Genetic Research Center within the Military Medical Department of the State Security Service, following orders from President Ilham Aliyev. As of June 30, 2026, biological samples have been collected from 11,542 donors related to the missing persons. The DNA profiles from these samples are processed and archived by the Genetic Research Center.