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Over 20,000 Ukrainian Civilians Held by Russia, Says Recently Freed POW
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Russia has illegally detained over 20,000 Ukrainian civilians—more than the number of recorded Ukrainian prisoners of war—according to human rights advocate Maksym Butkevych, who was recently freed from Russian captivity.
Butkevych, a journalist and former Ukrainian soldier, was released on October 18, 2024, as part of a 190-person prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. On January 30, he spoke at a joint hearing on Ukrainian prisoners of war, journalists, and other civilians held by Russia.
At the hearing he stated, "The Russians are persecuting civilians for collaborating with the country of which they are citizens. People admit that they are being incriminated because they are being tortured."
The session, part of ongoing reports on the issue, included testimonies from Leniie Umerova, a Crimean Tatar and recently released civilian detainee; Yulian Pylypei, a Ukrainian marine and Mariupol defender who was in Russian captivity and Nataliia Yashchuk, Senior War Consequences Officer at the Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv.
Earlier in 2024, PACE held a hearing addressing ongoing concerns about Ukraine’s prisoners of war and detained civilians, emphasizing violations of international humanitarian law.
As of September 18, 2024, a total of 65,956 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians were reported missing or captured, with 50,916 classified as missing based on verified data. While 3,672 individuals, including 168 civilians, have been released since February 24, 2022, the real number of those detained is believed to be higher.
PACE reaffirmed its commitment to freeing Ukrainian captives under Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan, noting Russia’s failure to disclose detainee information and reports of mistreatment, including forced labor, inadequate medical care, and torture.
Earlier, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the resolution “European Commitment to a Just and Lasting Peace in Ukraine” with 86 votes in favor, none against, and six abstentions.