Russia accuses Ukraine of unwillingness to take back its POWs
Фото: Телеграм / Омбудсман Лубінець Дмитро
The Russian Federation claims it offered to exchange 935 prisoners of war, but says Ukraine agreed to take back only 279. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, however, denied this information.
The statements, made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, were quoted by TASS and RIA Novosti, and shared on the Telegram account of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.
Zakharova accused Ukraine of merely "creating an appearance" of exchange efforts to "pressure" Russia, alleging that Ukraine's Ministry of Defense removed some personnel from exchange lists, deeming them "unworthy." Meanwhile, Russia's human rights commissioner stated that Kyiv's approach to exchanges was overly politicized, making the process "extremely difficult and slow."
In response, Lubinets addressed Moskalkova directly, requesting the supposed list of Ukrainian citizens whom Russia claims Kyiv "refused" to receive. He stressed that Ukraine is ready to accept all Ukrainian prisoners and abides by the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, noting that delays in the exchange process often stem from Russia's side, which uses the issue to influence Ukrainian society.
Lubinets added that he had also received lists of missing Ukrainian servicemen and letters from prisoners of war via Qatar.
In parallel, the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula, held in Montreal, concluded with a Joint Communiqué in which participant countries committed to supporting the return of all captured and deported Ukrainian citizens.
The last prisoner exchange
On October 18, 95 Ukrainian soldiers, including defenders of "Azovstal" and renowned human rights advocate Maksym Butkevich, were freed from Russian captivity. This marked Ukraine's 58th prisoner exchange, carried out in a "95 for 95" format.
Among those released were soldiers who had defended Mariupol and "Azovstal," as well as regions like Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson. Notably, several soldiers included in this exchange had previously received "sentences" from Russia's judicial system. Specifically:
- 28 soldiers had been sentenced to long terms,
- 20 soldiers had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Most of the freed soldiers—34—belonged to the 12th brigade of the Azov National Guard, who defended Mariupol during the spring of 2022.
The "Angels" Patronage Service expressed deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their crucial assistance and support in organizing the exchange.
Ukraine opens first reintegration center for military personnel freed from Russian captivity
"Розстріляна свобода слова": у Страсбурзі відкрили виставку світлин, присвячену полоненим українським журналістам
Russian forces kill Ukrainian POWs near Selydove, Donetsk region
Спецпризначенці "Азова" взяли у полон майже 2 десятки російських військових
