Russia locates 79 Ukrainian service members previously listed as missing

A meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian human rights commissioners has revealed that the Russian side has established the whereabouts of 79 service members who had been listed as missing and is beginning regular monitoring of the conditions in which Ukrainian prisoners of war are being held.

Source: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights

Quote: "The Russian side has established the whereabouts of 79 service members who are considered missing under special circumstances."

Details: Lubinets held talks with Russia's human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the search for missing persons and the stepping-up of exchange processes, including the return of prisoners of war and civilians held in both Ukraine and Russia.

In particular, Lantratova said she has verified the identity of 79 POWs who had been listed as missing.

Lubinets also reported that as part of today's prisoner swap, in which 103 service members were brought back to Ukraine from captivity, 103 prisoners of war held in Ukraine were also returned to Russia.

The Russian side also reported that it has visited several facilities where Ukrainian prisoners of war are being held. Monitoring visits will now be conducted regularly by both sides to assess whether prisoners are receiving food, medical care and access to religious practice.

Lubinets and Lantratova also exchanged letters from relatives to Ukrainian service members in captivity and vice versa. The Ukrainian commissioner stressed that he expects a reply to a letter from the relatives of POWs from Olenivka which had been handed over at the previous meeting.

The meeting also covered the issue of unlawfully detained civilians. Lubinets proposed setting up a monitoring mission with the involvement of foreign human rights institutions.

Background:

• Lantratova, who became Russia's new human rights commissioner in May, was involved in the forced removal of children from temporarily occupied Kherson.
• Ukrainska Pravda reported that she has repeatedly visited Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, she travelled to occupied Crimea for the 2014 "referendum".

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