Ukraine demands Russia release lists for POW exchange
The Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, has called on Russia to provide lists of all Ukrainian prisoners of war eligible for exchange. Moscow accuses Kyiv of sabotaging the exchange process.
6:22 AM EST, November 4, 2024
Dmytro Lubinets contacted the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, asking for lists of Ukrainian prisoners ready for an urgent exchange.
"As the Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner, I am requesting from the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, the full lists of Ukrainian prisoners of war whom Russia is prepared to exchange urgently," wrote Lubinets on social media.
"Recently, the Russian side claimed that Ukraine 'does not consent' to the repatriation of some of its prisoners. Therefore, I am addressing the Commissioner for these lists to ensure the Ukrainian citizens are handed over," he continued.
"We are always ready to conduct prisoner exchanges," he stated. He also emphasized that "usually these processes are hampered by Russia" and are used as a "method of influencing Ukrainian society."
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of refusing to accept some Ukrainian prisoners as part of the exchange. She added that in 2024, 279 Ukrainian prisoners were exchanged, although Moscow allegedly proposed the exchange of 935 people. She accused the Ukrainian side of "hindering exchange processes" and claimed that Kyiv is "politicizing" the issue.
