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Envoy says 16,000 Ukrainian civilians detained by Russia
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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Amid its ongoing conflict with the Russian Federation, the Government of Ukraine has drawn the attention of the international community to the issue of the return of prisoners of war.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria, in a statement issued in Abuja, said Ukraine continued to draw international attention to the issue of returning its prisoners of war.
According to the embassy, Ukraine consistently advocates an all-for-all exchange, as some Ukrainians have been held in captivity for nearly 12 years.
The Ukrainian government further said that, at the same time, Russia systematically ignored its obligations and used people as an instrument of pressure.
Commenting on the situation of Ukrainians held in Russian captivity, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, said: “The issue of Ukrainian prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians is not a matter of bargaining — it is a matter of human dignity and international law.”
The Ukrainian envoy also drew attention to the conditions in which prisoners are held.
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“Torture, starvation, denial of medical care, physical and sexual violence are not isolated cases but a coordinated practice. According to the UN, more than 95 per cent of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been subjected to torture in Russia,” he disclosed.
According to the ambassador, the return of all prisoners is a mandatory prerequisite for any real peace.
“Every Ukrainian held in Russian captivity must be brought home. The international community must act decisively to ensure the release of both military personnel and civilians,” Kholostenko emphasised.
He recalled that Russia is illegally detaining approximately 16,000 Ukrainian civilians, handing down long prison sentences on fabricated charges.
“A separate and particularly acute issue is the return of Ukrainian children. One of Russia’s most brutal and cynical crimes is its targeted policy against Ukrainian children. This concerns not only the consequences of war, but systematic actions, including forced transfers and deportations, changes of citizenship, and illegal adoptions. Ukraine’s Regional Centre for Human Rights has documented 165 so-called ‘re-education camps’ where Ukrainian children are subjected to militarisation and Russification.
“The return of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children are key humanitarian conditions for a just and lasting peace,” the ambassador concluded.
