At least 20,000 Ukrainian civilians are being held in Russian captivity

Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halko reported the information.

"Because the Russian Federation conceals this information, even when officially requested, we do not know the exact number. However, based on the figure of 66 thousand missing persons, we believe that at least 20, 000 civilians may be illegally detained,” said Ihor Kotelianets.

According to him, no criminal cases may be initiated against the majority of civilian Ukrainians, as there are no formal grounds to detain them. 

Instead, they are prohibited from contacting relatives and lawyers. Neither official authorities nor relatives know the exact whereabouts of these people.

“They have no way to help them. And Russia, of course, is doing this because the 4th Geneva Convention prohibits the imprisonment of civilians, which is a crime that Russia is committing and trying to hide. That is why it does not provide this information,” added the head of the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin.

At the same time, he explained that in order to get their loved ones back from captivity, they need to understand that exchanges are not the only way to release them. In addition, in order for the exchange to take place, it is not enough to put pressure on the Coordination Center, they also need help in getting them released. It is also worth formally applying to the UN committees - the Committee on Missing Persons, the Committee on Torture and Human Rights. 

Prisoners of war exchange on February 5

On Wednesday, February 5, Ukraine returned home 150 prisoners of war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the 150 Ukrainian defenders included officers, soldiers, sergeants, National Guardsmen and a police officer.

“These are soldiers of the Navy, who were captured in Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia region, the Air Force, the Air Assault and Land Forces, the National Guard, border guards, terrorist fighters, and a police officer. All of them are from different areas of the front, but they have one thing in common: they fought for Ukraine,” the president wrote.

He clarified that some of the military had been in Russian captivity for more than 2 years.