Russia currently holds captive over 14,000 Ukrainian civilians, as reported by Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada.
According to Lubinets, this number includes Ukrainians detained by Russia since 2014 in the occupied territories of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions (Ukraine maintains separate lists of captured citizens there) and after the onset of full-scale aggression.
Lubinets specified that nearly 600 Ukrainian civilians from Kyiv region alone, which was least under Russian occupation, have fallen into Russian captivity.
The ombudsman noted that civilians are the most difficult category to return from captivity for several reasons.
"Firstly, according to international humanitarian law, we cannot conduct exchanges. This is defined exclusively for prisoners of war. Secondly, everyone understands that there are not many Russian civilians that Russia would want to return. Thirdly, there are judicial sentences. They issue enormous terms of imprisonment against our civilians, accusing them of espionage, terrorist activities, financing terrorist organizations, anything. Their main goal is to give long prison terms: 15, 17, 18, 20, 25 years," said Lubinets.
He also mentioned cases where Russians detained minors in Berdyansk, who are now under investigation and may also receive lengthy prison sentences. Additionally, Lubinets revealed that two boys in Berdyansk were reportedly shot dead by occupiers, and currently, Russians are not allowing their bodies to be retrieved for burial, suggesting they may intend to bury them secretly.
