Over 300 civilian Ukrainian women are being held in Russian captivity – human rights activist
Pravda Ukraine
As of December 2024, 301 Ukrainian civilians are being held in Russian captivity, with at least 25 of them deprived of their liberty before the full-scale invasion and 276 since it began.
Source: Olha Skrypnyk, Head of the Board of the Crimean Human Rights Group, at a meeting of the Council on Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity at Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry
Details: “These figures are not final, and the actual number of women in Russian captivity is significantly higher. Confirming the exact numbers is challenging, as Russia refuses to provide information about [detained] civilians. However, even with incomplete data, it is clear that after 24 February 2022, the number of women taken prisoner by Russia increased elevenfold [compared to before the full-scale invasion],” said Skrypnyk.
The official stressed that the Ukrainian government’s main task now is to liberate all prisoners of war and civilians and bring them home. Additionally, she noted that these people will require support, especially financial assistance, upon their release.
“It is crucial to clearly define who will be responsible and how the government will assist this category of affected people – civilian hostages and their families – when outlining the powers within the ministry; additionally, the work of the Commission for establishing the fact of deprivation of personal liberty must continue, ensuring that the families receive at least some form of support from the state,” Skrypnyk said.
Background: As of November 2024, nearly 3,800 people, including 186 civilians, have been released from Russian captivity since the start of the full-scale invasion.
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