Sybiha urges EU and international partners to step up efforts to return civilian captives
The foreign minister stressed that Russia has institutionalized the abduction, torture, and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, turning these practices into one of its tools of war.
According to him, thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain in Russian captivity.
Photo source: X / Andrii Sybiha
At the same time, the minister noted that current international humanitarian law does not provide an effective mechanism for the release of civilians unlawfully held during war.
He also emphasized that international pressure on Russia must increase. At the same time, the International Committee of the Red Cross must restore full and unhindered access to all Ukrainian civilians illegally held in captivity.
Separately, the foreign minister stressed that Ukraine fulfills its obligations under international humanitarian law, while Russia openly violates them.
Photo source: X / Andrii Sybiha
According to Sybiha, the release of unlawfully held civilians must become an integral part of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.
The minister also thanked EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee for their leadership on the issue. He separately expressed gratitude to Oleksandra Matviichuk and Maksym Butkevych for their powerful testimonies.
Background
It should be noted that on June 27, Ukraine brought home seven more civilians whom Russia had unlawfully held after detaining them during the occupation in 2022. Those released included residents of Mariupol and the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions.
Among those released were:
The returnees also included a volunteer from the "Taira's Angels" brigade who was detained in Mariupol. Taira herself, Yuliia Paievska, was detained with him; Ukraine brought her back in June 2022.
As reported, on June 26, Ukraine and Russia held another exchange of prisoners of war. As a result, 160 Ukrainian service members returned home. In addition to soldiers and sergeants, Ukraine managed to bring back 58 officers from captivity.
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14 of July 2026
