The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established the position of Special Envoy for Prisoners of War and Missing Persons

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has established the position of Ambassador-at-Large to coordinate issues related to prisoners of war, illegally detained civilians, and missing persons.

The ministry announced this on its official Telegram page. The new position has been filled by experienced diplomat Dmytro Ponomarenko, who represented the state’s interests in the Republic of Korea and Mongolia from 2021 to 2025.

The special envoy’s main task will be to identify international legal mechanisms to influence Russia in order to prevent the torture of Ukrainians and facilitate their release. Ponomarenko will coordinate efforts with international partners and advocate for the rights of missing persons on the global stage. This appointment comes amid reports of the execution of prisoners of war in Veterinarne, Kharkiv Oblast, underscoring the critical need to increase pressure on the aggressor.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, has already developed an action plan for 2026. The document provides for large-scale advocacy efforts to mobilize the international community. The strengthening of the diplomatic front is occurring in parallel with the Defense Forces’ successes in the use of ground robots and the systematic deterioration of the Russian economy, which has officially entered a recession.

Ukraine has received invitations from Asian countries, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced new visits and agreements.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has decided to revoke the appointment of Viktoria Yakimova as Honorary Consul of Ukraine in the Dominican Republic. There are also plans to recall the Ukrainian ambassador to Cuba to Kyiv due to public outcry and the circulation of scandalous photos.