Russia allows foreign envoy to visit Ukrainian prisoners for the first time, ombudsman says
Photo: Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets (RBC-Ukraine / Vitalii Nosach)
For the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, a foreign representative — Cardinal Matteo Zuppi — was granted physical access to Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.
Ukraine's defenders also confirmed that representatives of Russia's human rights commissioner have begun visiting them.
The Ukrainian ombudsman noted that he regularly holds meetings with Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova.
During their latest conversation, the two sides once again discussed further steps to bring Ukrainian citizens home.
Lubinets stressed that every prisoner exchange is the result of difficult negotiations and, at the same time, an opportunity to make progress in the release of military personnel and civilians.
The commissioner expressed hope that the positive trend in granting representatives access to prisoners would continue.
According to him, Ukraine will do everything possible to ensure that all its citizens return from Russian detention facilities.
On October 23, Ukraine and Russia conducted a new prisoner exchange — the first in the past two months.
A total of 270 Ukrainians returned home, including National Guard members (among them Azov fighters), border guards, territorial defense personnel, members of the Navy, Land Forces, Air Assault Forces, the State Special Transport Service, as well as nine civilians.
Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets called the process historic.
According to him, during the third stage of the large-scale exchange, Ukraine secured the release of the largest number of defenders unlawfully convicted by Russia — 86 people — as well as one service member who had been facing criminal prosecution in Russia.
