As of now, there are a total of 28,000 Ukrainian civilians in russian captivity, with 2,000 of them being over the age of 65, according to Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. He made this statement during the international human rights conference Freedom or Fear on December 7, as reported by Ukrinform.
"Civilian hostages are, in my opinion, a new system of suppressing the civilian population on the temporarily occupied territories. Currently, 28,000 confirmed Ukrainian citizens are in russian captivity. Among these 28,000, a separate list includes 2,000 Ukrainian citizens aged over 65. There are cases when individuals over 80-85 years old are captured solely for pro-Ukrainian statements, and once again, we cannot do anything about it", - said Lubinets.
He emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities cannot verify the condition of these individuals, cannot gain access to russian prisons, and cannot provide them with medication.
Lubinets called on the international community to assist the Ukrainian state in protecting its citizens and bringing them back.
It was previously reported that Lubinets would address the UN and the Red Cross in response to a video showing the execution of Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered.