MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. Ukraine is delaying the exchanges of prisoners of war, Russian Human Rights Ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova said on Wednesday.
"I am very concerned to see that the process of prisoner exchanges with Ukraine is not going as we would like it to. For over ten months, Kiev has been removing a lot of Ukrainian service members, mostly privates and sergeants, from exchange lists, putting many on the list of those missing," she wrote on Telegram.
Moskalkova pointed out that the families of Ukrainian troops kept asking her to help find their loved ones. "We find them among prisoners of war held in Russia and immediately offer to exchange them for our guys in Ukrainian captivity. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian authorities put political gains above mercy and humanity. As for exchange lists, the advantage is usually given to media personalities, while they took little interest in common servicemen," the ombudsperson added.
"I believe that stepping up the exchange process is crucial for prisoners of war on both sides," Moskalkova stressed.
According to her, she has learned from requests from the families of Ukrainian troops that those returning from captivity are made to choose between long prison terms or taking part in military action. "Oftentimes, mothers and wives write to me, asking to keep their loved ones in Russia so they don’t have to go to war again," the ombudsperson said.