Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said Russia has launched yet another disinformation campaign to discredit Ukraine by publishing fake lists of prisoners of war (POWs) whom Ukraine allegedly refuses to take back.

"Once again, I publicly refute all of Russia's claims, stating that as someone who, along with my colleagues, is participating in negotiations with the Russian side regarding the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, we have never refused to take back any Ukrainian prisoner of war, civilian hostage, or Ukrainian child. We are ready to take back absolutely everyone whom Russia is willing to hand over to us," Lubinets said at a press conference titled "Countering Russian disinformation. Exposing Russian disinformation regarding prisoners, exchanges, and missing persons" in Kyiv on Wednesday.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, the ombudsman said the Russians publish lists even after the Ukrainian side immediately sends them a request stating that they are ready to arrive tomorrow to pick up the captives, "the Russians begin a lengthy procedure involving various approvals, dragging out the process themselves, and at the same time they constantly accuse Ukraine and Ukrainian authorities of allegedly abandoning our citizens."

At the same time, he said Russia "wants to present a picture to the world as if Russian captivity were practically a health resort where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages are resting, receiving treatment, and recovering." Lubinets said that since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross have not been allowed access to any facility holding Ukrainian captives. "When we bring our boys back from captivity, one of the questions I always ask is: Did you see any ICRC representatives while you were in Russian captivity? In four years, I have never once received an affirmative answer," the ombudsman said.

According to him, the enemy wants the world to "believe the facade" and claims that Ukraine treats Russian prisoners of war poorly, citing the circumstances of their capture but never the actual conditions of their detention.

"The whole world can see even the photographs showing the condition in which Ukrainian prisoners of war return, exhausted, having lost dozens of kilograms, and the condition in which Russian prisoners of war return. Many of them have even gained weight while in Ukrainian captivity. But Russian propaganda shows only the moment they were taken prisoner by Ukraine, as if they had been subjected to the same treatment the entire time," Lubinets said.