UAE main mediator in return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, says commissioner

The United Arab Emirates is the main intermediary in the return of Ukrainians from Russian  captivity, Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, announced on national television.

"For the return of Ukrainian prisoners, we now have the UAE as our main partner. We thank them very much. Our last returns took place through the mediation of the diplomats of this country," the ombudsman said.

According to Lubinets, Ukraine is also discussing with UAE diplomats the direction of the humanitarian convoy so that every Ukrainian prisoner of war receives belongings, personal hygiene products and medicines.

"But, unfortunately, we have not come to an agreement with the Russian side here yet," he added.

The commissioner noted that there are other countries that help Ukraine in exchange of prisoners of war. But the UAE is currently the most effective.

"But this does not mean that other countries do not help us. For example, when countries publicly condemn the Russians for not fulfilling the Geneva Convention, in my opinion, this also helps us. The only thing we want is for it to become a more active movement," Lubinets stated.

This cocerns the actions of the Russian Federation being recognized as war crimes, in particular, when the Russians torture and kill Ukrainian prisoners of war.

On June 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had freed 3,310 people from Russian captivity since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

On July 17, Ukraine managed to return 95 defenders from Russian captivity. Zelenskyy thanked the UAE for mediating this exchange.