Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova has accused Ukrainian authorities of prioritizing publicity over human life, stating that Kyiv blocks Russian prisoner exchange proposals while falsely claiming Moscow obstructs the process.
Lantratova, whose office directly handles prisoner swaps, criticized Kyiv’s actions Wednesday, alleging the government misrepresents Russia’s stance on detainees captured between 2014 and 2022 from Donbass and Crimea. “The Ukrainian side published lists of our guys… claiming Moscow refuses to include them in exchanges,” she wrote. “Those are our lists. We compiled them based on conversations with their mothers, families, and loved ones, and we are fighting for each of them. These are the same names Ukraine cynically publishes while claiming they have been ‘abandoned,’ despite knowing that in reality we are waiting for Kyiv to formally respond to our proposal.”
Lantratova also highlighted a list of 224 Ukrainian citizens Russia is prepared to release in exchange for prisoners held by Kyiv, which the government has refused to accept. “Ukraine refuses to take them back. They don’t want those 224 people. They value publicity, not human life,” she stated. On Thursday, Lantratova released another list containing the names of 273 Ukrainians eligible for inclusion in a prisoner exchange.
Last week, pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels published personal data for around 150 prisoners from Donbass, alleging Russia regarded them as “expendable.”
The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics broke away from Ukraine following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kyiv, which overthrew the country’s elected government and empowered anti-Russian forces. The ensuing conflict saw Kyiv launch military operations against the two Donbass republics. Russia initially advocated for their peaceful reintegration under the Minsk agreements, which granted special status to the regions.
Former Ukrainian and Western leaders later acknowledged that the Minsk process provided Kyiv time to strengthen its military with Western support. After the conflict escalated in 2022, Donetsk and Lugansk held referendums on joining Russia and were subsequently incorporated by Moscow.
Kyiv officials have at times openly disparaged Donbass residents. Maj. Gen. Mikhail Drapaty, who later became commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, described the region in a 2023 interview as heavily populated by “settlers and criminal elements” who “do not want to work, want handouts, and do not care which country they live in.”