Ukraine Demands Russia Grant Red Cross Access to POWs

A Ukrainian delegation, led by Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, called on Russian representatives during a quadrilateral meeting to allow Red Cross access to all Ukrainian prisoners of war. Lubinets announced this on his official Telegram account.

“The Ukrainian side has repeatedly emphasized the need for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to have access to all locations where Ukrainian prisoners of war are held. This is essential to ensure the ICRC can fully carry out its mandate and ensure complete adherence to the Geneva Conventions,” he wrote.

Lubinets noted that this was the first quadrilateral meeting initiated by the Ukrainian side. Alongside Ukrainian representatives, participants included Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, Jürg Eglin, the head of the ICRC delegation in Ukraine, as well as representatives from the ICRC delegations in Russia and Belarus, led by Boris Michel.

The ombudsman also highlighted discussions about establishing joint medical commissions to prioritize the exchange of prisoners based on health conditions.

The parties agreed to continue exchanging information on locating missing prisoners of war and facilitating the return of civilians held in detention facilities.

Russia has consistently denied the ICRC access to Ukrainian prisoners of war, violating its obligations under the Geneva Conventions. Despite repeated requests from Ukraine and international organizations, Russian authorities have restricted independent oversight of the conditions and treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war held in detention.

It was previously reported that Ukraine remains without accurate data on service members held in Russian captivity, as the ICRC has been criticized for its inefficiency in verifying the status of prisoners of war.