Ukraine has opened the fifth camp for Russian prisoners of war calledCentre-5. This was reported by the state project of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War”I Want to Live”. The report states that the number of Russian military personnel who surrender to the Ukrainian Armed Forces every month significantly exceeds the number of those returned by Russia as part of exchanges. This leads to the rapid filling of places for holding prisoners of war.
“Centre-5 meets all the requirements of international humanitarian law, which is confirmed by the relevant standards.
Ukraine maintains a high level of openness in the treatment of prisoners of war and strictly adheres to its obligations, under the Geneva Conventions. International observers and media have access to camps such asCentre-5, as well as to other places where Russian prisoners are held, which underscores the transparency and humanity of their treatment.
Ukraine constantly calls on Russia to comply with international norms regarding Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, by making the following demands:
1)Allow representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to Ukrainian prisoners and hostages in the Russian Federation.
2) End the practice of holding Ukrainians in inappropriate conditions , such as penal colonies and basements.
3) Stop torture, beatings, psychological pressure and other forms of ill-treatment of prisoners.
4) Ensure that prisoners are able to receive letters, parcels and financial assistance.
The Ukrainian project”I Want to Live” , supported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, provides an opportunity for Russian servicemen to voluntarily surrender. This project aims to save the lives of Russian soldiers, who want to avoid combat and return to their families.
However, despite a significant increase in the number of Russians surrendering to the Ukrainian Armed Forces every month, their return home is not a priority for the Russian authorities. The places of detention for prisoners of war in Ukraine are rapidly filling up, as the number of prisoners exceeds those returned by Russia as part of exchanges. As noted by, all these prisoners could already be home thanks to a large humanitarian exchange on the principle of “all for all”, but for the Russian authorities, their return is not important.
Ukraine, for its part, remains open to exchange and demonstrates its readiness to comply with international humanitarian standards in the treatment of prisoners of war.
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