Tatyana Odnoletok00:40, 15.09.24
This is not only the serious consequences of the injuries received by the Ukrainian defenders, but also the result of inhumane treatment in Russian captivity.
The prisoner exchange that took place on September 14 is notable for the fact that the Ukrainian side tried to free and return home precisely those soldiers who were seriously wounded and had serious illnesses. This was reported by the representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Petro Yatsenko.
“Quite a few of our 103 citizens, defenders, need medical care. These are really quite serious diagnoses that require quite a long treatment. There are people who have lost their hearing, and people who cannot speak, unfortunately. And these are not only the consequences of the injuries they received, but also the consequences of inhumane treatment in captivity. And the consequences of the fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross has not yet received full access to the places where Ukrainians are being held,” Yatsenko emphasized on the air of the telethon.
He noted that Ukraine always tries to use all opportunities and free all Ukrainians it can.
“But it is a very offensive fact that the Russian authorities have actually forgotten about those hundreds and hundreds of Russians who have also often been in captivity for more than two years. And since they are not as media-friendly as, for example, those conscripts from the Kursk region, their fate in general is not of much interest to anyone in Russia,” the representative of the Coordination Headquarters emphasized.
When asked whether the Russian Federation insisted on exchanging Ukrainian soldiers specifically for conscripts from the Kursk region, the representative of the Coordination Headquarters responded that he could not yet disclose the details.
“We always try to find formulas that are acceptable both for the Ukrainian side and for the opposite side. And for us, the main thing is the health and lives of our people. I cannot reveal the exchange formulas now – exactly how much for how much and who for whom we exchanged. But we must understand that our exchange fund remains large. Those achievements of the Security and Defense Forces that now allow us to conduct more exchanges and conduct these exchanges more often, this fund remains with us. Therefore, we can hope for future good news,” Yatsenko explained.
He added that this exchange took place with the help of the UAE, but the details of the mediation are not disclosed for the security of future exchanges.
“Since preparations and negotiations are still ongoing, we will not disclose the details so that these negotiations do not fail. This is already the eighth exchange with the participation and assistance of the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters, all government agencies always respect this assistance very much when we find a third party – a mediator. This is very important for us,” Yatsenko emphasized.
It is noteworthy that there are now almost no recorded cases where Russian prisoners of war who are included in the exchange list do not want to return home to the Russian Federation.
“Yes, there are isolated cases. According to international humanitarian law, these people will be held captive until the end of hostilities. But there really are very few of them. In fact, 99%, and maybe even more, of those Russians who are with us want to go back. And many of them are very upset to understand that Russia is only exchanging those who have recently been captured by us. And those who have been there for a long time – they have long been forgotten, their fate is of no interest to the Russian leadership at all,” Yatsenko stated.
Exchange of prisoners
As UNIAN reported, on September 14, another 103 Ukrainian soldiers were released from Russian captivity as part of the exchange. 82 privates and sergeants, 21 officers returned home, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
It is known that defenders of Kiev, Donetsk, Mariupol and “Azovstal”, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv regions were released from captivity. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, border guards, police officers.
Ukrainian ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 57 prisoner of war exchanges have already been carried out and 3,672 Ukrainians have been returned home.
It should be noted that the day before, on September 13, 49 Ukrainian men and women returned from Russian captivity . Among those released were civilians and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, employees of the National Police, and the State Border Service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that some of the defenders of Azovstal were also released.
It must be very difficult for the Ukrainians to maintain their humanitarian treatment of roach POWs, seeing in what a poor state of health the Ukrainian ones are in when they return. And, nobody knows if any seriously tortured ones have been released yet from mafia land, or how many were murdered.
We live in the 21st century, but some nations are still in the Dark Ages, such as mafia land, and the world’s indifference to the countless atrocities that are being committed by the russian terrorist federation shows that the world in general is still very primitive in its mindset.
For the lackluster help it’s getting, Ukraine must make sure that roach POWs are returning to their home well-fed and healthy, lest the bleeding hearts across the West won’t cry, and also so that the roach POWs can be readily and quickly reused as meat puppets again.