Russia is hiding data on Ukrainian prisoners, releasing only 4,000 out of 65,000. Israelis know what this means – their loved ones are also being held hostage, but in Gaza.

“This is not a series of isolated incidents — this is a systematic policy that violates all norms of international law”, — Amnesty International.

The issue of Ukrainian prisoners in Russia echoes the tragedy of Israelis held hostage by Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist organization holds Israelis captive, refusing to disclose their fate, just as Russia hides information about thousands of Ukrainians in captivity. In both cases, families remain in the dark, international organizations fail to exert sufficient pressure, and the captors use hostages as a tool of blackmail.

This mechanism is a tool of terror, familiar to Israelis who endured October 7 and continue to fight for the return of their loved ones.

In both Ukraine and Israel, aggressors act the same way: they conceal lists, reject international oversight, and use captives for political purposes.

According to last year’s resolution No. 2573 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, over 65,000 Ukrainians have been recognized as missing prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians.

However, official data covers only 30% of these prisoners — the rest remain in the shadows. As stated by lawyer Tatyana Lebedeva, according to the Coordination Headquarters, only 3,767 people have been returned from Russian captivity, of whom 168 are civilians.

“Information about Ukrainian prisoners in Russia is only 30% public. We can see only 30% of some lists and registries to track when a person was captured and when they were exchanged.

Overall, there is no statistical data or any information on whether a specific individual was captured, for example, in 2022, and whether they are still alive today and being held somewhere… The released prisoners themselves are also not very public, and only a few talk about their time in captivity, where they were, with whom, what the conditions were like, and so on. All this valuable information remains undisclosed.”

Why are these numbers so low?

• Russia hides data on detainees and does not publish lists.
• International law prohibits the detention of civilians but does not provide mechanisms for their release.
• Publicity does not always help — sometimes it even harms hostages.
• Fraudsters exploit information about captives for personal gain, pretending to be “mediators.”

Why is Moscow in no hurry to exchange captives?

Russia uses the tactic of “blurring” captives, making it impossible to identify their whereabouts. Ukraine has no access to detention sites, and families often remain without information.

According to Amnesty International:

• 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been tortured in Russia.
• Moscow conceals the fate of captives, refusing to provide information even to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
• Civilians captured by Russia are used as leverage against Kyiv.

“Russian authorities subject Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages to torture, prolonged detention without contact with the outside world, and other forms of inhumane treatment, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” — Amnesty International.

Why can publicity be harmful?

Relatives of captives often hear from official structures: “Do not make this public.” Why?

1. The captives may suffer worse conditions — Russian guards treat prisoners more harshly if their cases gain public attention.
2. Fraudsters emerge, promising to “help” with release in exchange for money. According to human rights activists, only 5% of families received real assistance, while the rest became victims of scammers.
3. Moscow may increase the “price” — the more public attention, the harder it is to secure a prisoner’s release.

International organizations: why are they inactive?

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) does not publish data on captives and does not pressure Russia.

• For civilian captives, they process only 10 out of 100 appeals.
• For military captives, they handle only 10 out of 1,000 cases.
• They do not provide families with feedback on letters and parcels sent to prisoners.

The ICRC claims to adhere to a policy of “neutrality”, but in practice, this results in inaction.

Conclusion: What can be done?

Currently, 65,000 Ukrainians remain in Russian captivity. Their fate is unknown, and exchanges are proceeding slowly.

🔹 Publicity is important, but not always safe.
🔹 Fraudsters exploit families’ desperation for personal gain.
🔹 International organizations fail to exert real pressure on Russia.
🔹 Legal mechanisms remain ineffective.

The problem is that Moscow deliberately hides prisoners, turning them into a tool of political pressure. If society forgets about them, they will disappear into prisons and labor camps without a trace.

NAnews — News of Israel continues to cover this issue, as the fight for freedom goes on!