Ukraine begins receiving some information about prisoners from Russia - Ukrainian Ombudsman
Photo: Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets (facebook.com/dmytro.lubinets)
Ukraine began to receive some information from the Russian side about the prisoners, according to Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.
"We have finally started receiving some information from the Russian side regarding prisoners. During the last exchange, we exchanged pamphlets. Together with my Russian counterpart, we simultaneously interviewed the prisoners of war being returned by Ukraine. In the presence of my staff, the Russian representatives heard words of gratitude," said Lubinets.
Likewise, according to the Commissioner for Human Rights, in the presence of Ukrainian representatives, the Russian side heard about the torture, lack of medical assistance, and even the loss of limbs due to the lack of timely medical care on the territory of Russia.
"We expect that there will be a reaction, at least we are planning to discuss all this information," the ombudsman noted.
Lubinets hopes that these steps will eventually lead to the Russian side allowing representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit Ukrainian prisoners. He emphasized the need to pressure Russia and the ICRC to ensure compliance with international obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.
"I don't know how else we should pressure the Russians and the ICRC so that the Russians finally start fulfilling their international obligations and we stop returning our prisoners of war in such terrible physical condition. We have confirmation that our prisoners in Russia died from torture," the ombudsman stressed.
Prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia
The last prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on July 17. At that time, 95 defenders were returned from Russian captivity, including soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, recently stated that Ukraine, with the support of the UAE, is planning a large-scale exchange with Russia, during which captive women will be returned.
According to the ombudsman, Russia illegally detains over 14,000 Ukrainian citizens. The work of returning civilians is the most challenging.
