The situation regarding the return of Mariupol’s defenders from russian captivity remains the most challenging at this time.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said this during a televised marathon.
"The situation with the defenders of Mariupol remains the most difficult," he noted.
Lubinets reported that 193 of the 205 defenders who returned to Ukraine on Friday had been in captivity since 2022, and many of them were defenders of Mariupol.
"They have all lost weight. Detention conditions on the territory of the Russian Federation remain extremely poor. The men are not receiving enough food, and no special medical care is provided, so they all went straight to the hospital," the ombudsman said.
He expressed hope that the russian side would keep its word and that the return of people as part of the exchange would continue.
"Indeed, this is the first stage, at least from the Ukrainian side. That is how we view it. We have provided all the information requested of us by our intermediaries, our partners—the United States and the United Arab Emirates," Lubinets noted.
According to him, four civilians have also returned home: “One of them is an elderly Ukrainian heroine, 86 years old. I spoke with her at length today. She is among those whom the Russians forcibly took from the Sumy Region to the territory of the Russian Federation.”
The russian federation’s Commissioner reported that on Friday, the russians transported those who were unable to leave on their own, “plus there were issues with their documents.”
In addition, letters from relatives were handed over to Ukrainian prisoners of war.
"The Russians agreed to take 828 letters from us. I hope they will be delivered as quickly as possible to our guys who remain in captivity," Lubinets said.
Responding to a question about the timeline for the return of the remaining nearly 800 prisoners as part of this exchange, he noted that one can never be 100% certain when negotiating with the russians.
"We did everything that was asked of us. We provided all the information and submitted numerous lists. We have once again emphasized that we demand the agreements be upheld, so that the seriously wounded, the seriously ill, and those who have been in Russian captivity since 2022 are returned first. These are our demands, which were supported by the mediating countries," the ombudsman explained.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, 205 Ukrainians returned home from russian captivity as part of the first phase of the “1,000 for 1,000” exchange.
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