Since start of war, 57 convicted and detained Ukrainians freed from Russia – Ombudsman

This information was shared by the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, on Telegram following the meeting with the families of military personnel who had been sentenced or detained in Russia.

During the meeting, representatives from the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner-of-War Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Unified Center of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Ministry of Justice, the National Guard, the Ministry of Defense, the National Police Investigative Department, and the Prosecutor General’s Office responded to attendees’ questions.

“I informed the relatives of our defenders about Ukraine’s efforts and our office’s direct work to ensure the return and protection of prisoners of war detained and sentenced by Russia. By the numbers: 57 people who were either convicted or under investigation in Russia have been released over the course of the war. In 2024 alone, we have freed 35 Ukrainians. The most recent exchange included 18 service members who had been serving long sentences. Our combined efforts with Ukrainian state bodies to free all our soldiers are ongoing,” Lubinets emphasized.

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State representatives advised citizens on specific cases, while staff from the Ombudsman’s Office received new petitions, which they will address.

Lubinets assured that he would raise the issue of freeing Ukrainian citizens detained by Russia at upcoming meetings with international partners.

“I am confident that these joint meetings help coordinate the actions of families, organizations, and state structures in the shared effort to bring our warriors home!” stressed the Human Rights Commissioner.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, at least 177 Ukrainian soldiers have died in Russian captivity since the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.