A preliminary agreement has been reached with the Russian side that prisoner exchanges in 2025 should become systematic, with the priority of returning primarily seriously ill and seriously wounded.
This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets in Telegram, Ukrinform reports.
According to the ombudsman, in an interview with the Rada TV channel, he emphasized that a large team is working daily to return captured Ukrainians.
“There is currently a preliminary agreement [with Russia] that exchanges in 2025 should become systematic, with the priority of returning primarily seriously ill and seriously wounded. We also agreed that every Ukrainian prisoner of war and civilian hostage will receive a package of belongings from Ukraine with the help of the ICRC,” Lubinets said.
He added: “We will see whether the Russian side will keep its word.”
As reported, on December 30, 189 Ukrainians were returned from Russian captivity.
At the same time, in the Republic of Belarus, Lubinets and Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova discussed mutual visits to prisoners of war on both sides and Russia’s creation of mixed medical commissions for the repatriation of the seriously wounded and seriously ill. They also touched upon the return of civilians, family reunification, and the further implementation of other humanitarian initiatives.
