Russia has no right to hold Ukrainian soldiers, their fate can be decided solely by the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei has said.
“As for our soldiers who are in Russian captivity: they are hostages.
There are no reasons, neither legal nor moral to keep our guys in the
dungeons of Russia,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
According to him, Ukraine will make every effort to free its military men.
“The fate of Ukrainian soldiers and officers can be resolved
exclusively by the Defense Ministry of Ukraine,” the minister stressed.
On Friday, a court in Russia arrested five Ukrainian officers until
October 7 on suspicion of using prohibited methods of warfare against
the people of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side considers such charges to be factitious.
