About a thousand prisoners of war listed by the Ukrainian Security Service's Interdepartmental Center have been freed but 333 Ukrainian servicemen, 41 military of volunteer battalions and two journalists remain in captivity, said Ukrainian Security Service Main Investigative Department head Vasyl Vovk.
“The Interdepartmental Center led by Ukrainian Security Service Deputy Chairman Vitaliy Yalovenko, which has been formed on the orders of the president, is bound to collect the entire information in a single pair of hands. A single list of 2,027 persons has been drawn up on the basis of information from the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the National Guard, the Border Service and the Security Service. The names were formally provided by families and friends. The situation has improved and our work has become systematic,” he said in an interview with the newspaper Segodnia published on Nov. 19.
About a thousand persons from that list have been found and freed.
As to those who remain in captivity, Vovk said: “There are 333 servicemen, 41 fighters from volunteer units and two journalists… But the figures are approximate. Some of them might have been freed while we are talking, or have come home on their own. And families might have simply forgotten to inform us. Some have been found dead.”
Ukrainian soldiers have been exchanged for 199 imprisoned militiamen, the department chief continued. “These [militiamen] are suspected of terrorism and acts of sabotage or they might have committed such crimes. Restrictive measures on 15 [suspects] have been replaced with house arrest,” he said.
As to the legal nationality of the detained and arrested militiamen, Vovk said there were citizens of Ukraine and Russia (twelve Russians amongst the total numbers).
“Unfortunately, they refuse to exchange our officers. They think these are experienced servicemen who will be dangerous in combat. Almost none of the Right Sector and Maidan activists have been freed. The treatment of civilians recruited for operations in the ATO zone is more loyal. They threaten with reprisals and force [us] to promise that the released prisoners will not fight again and then either exchange them or just let them go,” he said.
Speaking of the “all for all” exchange formula, the department chief said “this is the only correct and optimal option.”
