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Türkiye's Chief Ombudsman Mehmet Akarca has confirmed that lists of missing Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as those who are seriously ill or severely wounded, were handed over to Russia, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets announced on Tuesday following an online meeting with his Turkish counterpart.
The lists have been provided to Akarca by Ukrainian families a month earlier during a meeting in Türkiye.
"I received clear confirmation from the Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye that the lists of missing persons, as well as seriously ill and severely wounded prisoners of war, which Ukrainian families had handed over to him a month ago during a meeting in Türkiye, were transmitted to Russia," Lubinets reported on his Telegram channel.
Türkiye has played a significant mediation role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict since 2022, hosting negotiations between the two sides in Istanbul.
Lubinets praised Türkiye's role in facilitating humanitarian dialogue with Russia, stating, "Türkiye remains one of the few platforms where humanitarian issues are genuinely advancing, particularly in negotiations with Russia."
"Therefore, together with the coordinators of the defenders' families, I sincerely thank Mehmet Akarca and the Turkish side for their concern and active support of this process," Lubinets added.
Lubinets stated that the main topic of discussion remains the fate of prisoners of war (POWs), those missing under special circumstances, and civilians who are being illegally detained.
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During the meeting, Lubinets also separately emphasized one of Russia's direct violations of the Geneva Conventions — the illegal sentencing of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
"These issues require urgent resolution, as they concern people's lives and health," Lubinets stressed.
Lubinets also announced that he and Akarca agreed to establish a permanent communication channel between their institutions, saying, "I proposed organizing the delivery of letters from families by Mehmet Akarca to the Russian side for Ukrainian prisoners of war, with the possibility of receiving mandatory responses."
According to Lubinets, additional lists will be prepared and submitted:
"We will be ready for any dialogue that allows us to protect the rights of our citizens and contributes to their swift return from Russian territory," Lubinets emphasized.
Lubinets also stated that he invited the Turkish Ombudsman to visit Ukraine, adding, "We are working together so that every Ukrainian man and woman returns home."
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