Russia disinterested in its POWs – Ukraine’s Commissioner for Human Rights

He shared the information in an interview with Radio Liberty.

According to him, there are currently "few Russian prisoners of war whom we want to exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war - they exist, but the number is insufficient."

Instead, Russia itself is not interested in its prisoners of war and does not want to take them back.

"Sometimes Russia is more interested in using both their own prisoners of war and relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war, but not to return ours home. And to persuade the relatives of prisoners of war that Ukraine is guilty, Ukraine does not want to, we offer something, and they are not willing," Lubinets said.

Prisoner exchange with Russia

On July 6, Ukraine returned 45 people from captivity. Among them are two officers, 41 privates and sergeants, a civilian employee of Azovstal, and a Territorial defense fighter from Kherson.

On July 7, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that Ukraine has managed to identify most of the bodies of prisoners of war killed in a Russian terrorist attack in the village of Olenivka, Donetsk region. 

On July 12, Ukraine managed to return the bodies of 19 people who died in Russian captivity.

In addition, on Friday, August 4, the bodies of 44 more dead Ukrainian soldiers were returned home.

On August 22, Ukraine initiated the creation of mixed medical commissions with the participation of representatives of neutral countries. This decision will help to exchange Ukrainian prisoners and allow the Russian side to return its military. On the same day, Russia returned the bodies of 12 Ukrainian defenders, confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross as having been held in captivity.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that the involvement of a third country in the release of civilians from Russian captivity will allow the use of "pendulum diplomacy."