Russia holds 403 Ukrainian women in captivity: some of them are civilians

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War informs.

Russia also holds women whose fate is unknown since 2014. The conditions of their detention do not comply with the III Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. According to the women released from captivity, the Russians humiliated them, kept them in inhumane conditions with insufficient food, denied them medical care and prevented them from contacting their families. In addition, Russia does not provide access to places of detention for prisoners and civilians to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“The Ukrainian side has repeatedly offered Russia to release women first, but representatives of the aggressor country are engaged in manipulations, including the publication of various lists. But behind all this lies an unwillingness to continue the exchanges,” the statement said. 

The Center emphasized that women, as well as the severely wounded and seriously ill, should be released from captivity or repatriated to neutral countries as a matter of priority under international humanitarian law. 

• Earlier, acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandeyev said that as of May 4, 32 representatives of the Ukrainian media were held in Russian captivity. Negotiations are currently underway for their immediate return.