Some 700 Ukrainian soldiers held as POWs by Russia: official

According to Ukrainian information, the Russians currently hold captive some 700 Ukrainian soldiers and over 1,000 civilians hostage.

According to Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, around 700 Ukrainian soldiers are held as prisoners of war by the Russian invaders. There is also confirmed information of over 1,000 civilians, including more than 500 women, who were imprisoned by Russians. Deputy PM demanded the unconditional release of the civilians during a broadcast on Ukrainian state television.

Earlier, there have been reports of Russia deporting Ukrainian citizens, including children, into Russia, under the guise of “humanitarian relief”.

The Ukrainian side also holds some 700 Russian soldiers. Occasional small exchanges of prisoners do occur, but Deputy PM Vereshchuk has accused Russia of breaking the provisions of the Geneva Convention by exchanging the prisoners of war selectively instead of sending back prisoners according to the lists prepared by Ukrainians. She has also categorically ruled out exchanging Russian soldiers for Ukrainian civilians, effectively hostages, as this is also against the provisions of the Geneva Convention.

The war in Ukraine is becoming increasingly savage. Evidence of massacres perpetrated by Russian aggressors on civilians has been uncovered in territories liberated by Ukrainian forces. Following the revelation of Russian atrocities, several incidental cases of Ukrainian combatants killing the invaders taken captive has been documented. There is, however, no reason to believe these are anything other than individual incidents.

By contrast, numerous intercepted radio and phone communications between Russian soldiers and their families, as well as the intelligence gathered by Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service has proven that Russian atrocities are perpetrated by numerous soldiers and entire units, and clearly with the approval of the commanders. TVP World has already covered the subject in an earlier article”.