Currently, over 400 Ukrainian women are held captive by Russia, with many of them being civilians, according to the Coordination Staff for Prisoners of War. Among them are individuals whose fate has been unknown since 2014, disappearing without a trace. Despite numerous appeals to return the captives, the Russian side remains silent, ignoring all requests.
The conditions of detention for Ukrainian women in Russian captivity do not comply with the Third Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, as emphasized by the Staff. Released captives have reported humiliation, inhumane conditions, inadequate nutrition, the inability to receive qualified medical assistance, and contact with their families.
Additionally, Russians continue to prohibit representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from accessing places of detention for prisoners and civilians, numbering over 100 in Russia and temporarily occupied territories.
The Ukrainian side has repeatedly proposed to Russia to prioritize the release of women, but instead, representatives of the aggressor country engage in manipulations, such as publishing various lists. However, behind all this lies the unwillingness to continue exchanges, according to military officials.
The Staff emphasized that women, as well as severely wounded and seriously ill individuals, according to international humanitarian law, should be released from captivity or repatriated to neutral countries as a priority.
Meanwhile, official representatives of Russia claim that they have not read the international agreements signed by their country and have no intention of fulfilling them.
