There are still many defenders of Mariupol among those held captive in Russia, according to Pivnenko

Major General Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, reported that more than half of the National Guard’s servicemen have already been returned from Russian captivity as a result of prisoner exchanges.

According to him, this is a significant achievement of all agencies involved in the process of freeing the captives.

“We have already retrieved more than half of our soldiers who were in captivity as a result of all the exchanges. This is a significant achievement for everyone involved in this process within the state,” said Pivnenko.

A significant number of defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal remain among the captives

The head of the National Guard noted that among the Ukrainian prisoners of war remaining in Russia, the largest group consists of fighters from the “Azov” Brigade. There are also soldiers in captivity who were taken prisoner back in 2014, but the bulk of the prisoners are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal.

Russia restricts international organizations’ access to prisoners

Pivnenko emphasized that Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia are subjected to cruel treatment, and international humanitarian organizations do not have adequate access to their places of detention to document their conditions.

“Our people are treated very, very, very badly there, and no international organizations are allowed in to properly document this treatment,” he stated.

The release of prisoners remains a state priority

The commander emphasized that the issue of returning prisoners of war must remain one of the state’s key priorities, as it is feasible to resolve even under wartime conditions.

He also added that in the event of possible negotiations, the “all for all” format should be prioritized, which would allow all Ukrainian prisoners of war to return home.

This was stated by the commander of the National Guard, Major General Oleksandr Pivnenko. 

Earlier, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, harshly criticized the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), accusing the organization of systematically failing to fulfill its mandate to protect Ukrainian prisoners of war.