Ukraine's human rights commissioner meets Russia's new ombudswoman for first time – video

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner, held his first working meeting with Yana Lantratova, Russia's new human rights commissioner, on the day of the latest prisoner-of-war exchange.

Source: Lubinets on social media

Details: The meeting lasted more than three hours. It was focused on preserving and expanding humanitarian cooperation on issues affecting people on both sides of the border.

During the meeting, the sides agreed to build on the progress achieved so far. This includes:

• verifying and bringing back prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians
• delivering letters and parcels from prisoners of war to their families
• mutual visits and inspections of detention conditions
• work on family reunification
• establishing the fate of people missing under special circumstances.

A separate agreement was reached to verify all available lists of prisoners of war and civilians held in places of detention.

An agreement was also reached to further expand humanitarian cooperation in the interests of those affected. Lubinets said the first practical result of this work was the return of five Ukrainian citizens. Three families have been reunited with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The oldest of those evacuated is 84.

Quote: "These Ukrainians ended up in Russia for various reasons, but one of them was deported by the Russians from the city of Mariupol. She is a 74-year-old woman, she is in a serious condition, uses a wheelchair and requires external assistance. Thanks to our work, the woman will be reunited with her daughter in Ukraine.

I hope this channel of interaction will be preserved and will continue to yield results. After all, without dialogue, it is impossible to bring people home, obtain answers for families and resolve humanitarian issues.

It is at the negotiating table that all the most difficult issues are resolved, including the issue of peace. We keep on working."

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!