Ukraine Refuses to Take 273 of Its Own PoWs as Part of Swap — Russian Human Rights Commissioner
07:20 GMT 13.08.2026 (Updated: 10:41 GMT 13.08.2026)
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The Russian side has sent Ukraine three different lists of people for swaps — these include soldiers, as well as those convicted of various charges in Russia, Russian Commissioner on Human Rights Yana Lantratova said.
She published a list of 273 Ukrainian soldiers whom Russia is ready to return as part of an exchange. The oldest prisoner was born in 1966, Sputnik has learned from the released documents.
"It is necessary to set the record straight regarding a situation that Ukrainian authorities have attempted to present in a distorted light. The Ukrainian side published lists of Russian servicemen from the Lugansk People’s Republic (LNR), Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), and the Republic of Crimea who have been held captive since 2014 and 2022, claiming that Russia refuses to include them in exchange lists," Lantratova said.
“We on our side are ready for an exchange,” Lantratova emphasised.
Previously the list of 224 people has already been agreed upon, but Ukraine refuses to take them, she explained, adding that most of them have been in Russia since 2022.
Lantratova accused the Ukrainian authorities of dangling false hope through video appeals while deliberately stalling actual exchange agreements.
"The Ukrainian authorities, who refuse to take back their own convicted citizens, in reality treat them as expendable material. It is they who feed them hope through video messages but do not give the go-ahead for an exchange," she said.
“We have not abandoned anyone. We are fighting for every single one. And we will bring them home," she added.
"Russia is prepared to make difficult and painful decisions in order to bring every one of its people home. Russian officials do not divide prisoners of war by region. For us, these are our men, our sons, our brothers," Lantratova said.
Russia remains open to a wide range of exchange options. The goal is to free Russian citizens held in captivity. Lives are at stake, she stressed.
