Ukraine seeks release of 800 injured servicemen from Russian captivity

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets shared the information on the United News national telethon.

Lubinets said that, among other things, the issue of repatriation of seriously injured Ukrainian servicemen was discussed with the Russian Ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova in the third round of negotiations.

According to him, during the negotiations, there was a moment when they simultaneously opened the Geneva Conventions, compared different options in different languages, and came to the conclusion that prisoners of war, considered seriously injured, should be transferred under the repatriation procedure.

"This is the repatriation procedure, it does not regard the number of people to be exchanged, but is conducted without any conditions, by each of the parties. This initiative was voiced for the first time. And we provided the list of servicemen of the Ukrainian army who, in our opinion, are injured and seriously injured. It includes almost 800 names," the official said.

He informed that the Ukrainian side received the same list from Russia and directed it to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

"Our task is to receive the list, direct it to respective bodies, and then a decision will be made. But I think it is a step in the positive direction that the Russian side at least supported our initiative. Will see what will happen next," the ombudsman said.

Lubinets clarified that he does not know what motives the Russian side is guided by.

"It seems to me that, firstly, they also want to return their prisoners of war. And secondly, the time may have come when the Russian side wants to show that they comply with the Geneva Conventions. At least, they may fulfill them in this part and then tell that they have always complied with them."

• Earlier, the Russian and Ukrainian ombudsmen had already held 3 rounds of talks in Ankara, during which they primarily discussed the POW exchange and the release of Ukrainian civilians.