The European Union called on Russia to release Ukrainian civilians from captivity and allow the Red Cross access to them, according to a statement following the meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.
“The EU once again urges Russia to comply with its international obligations, including by immediately and unconditionally releasing all arbitrarily detained Ukrainian civilians and providing comprehensive lists of the names and whereabouts of all Ukrainians deprived of their liberty,” the text reads.
Russia must also ensure immediate, safe, and unhindered access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to all facilities where Ukrainians are held, both in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in Russia, the statement emphasizes.
The issue of missing Ukrainian civilians is closely tied to the situation involving thousands of Ukrainian children who remain missing after deportation by Russia. “Russia has persistently disregarded its duties and obligations under IHL in relation to the registration, tracking, communication and reestablishment of contact with families of these children, exacerbating the gravity of their situation,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Russia has been obstructing Ukraine’s efforts to search for and identify the missing persons, the EU underscores.
Earlier, the Ukrainian World Congress called on the global community to make efforts for the prompt release of the defenders of Mariupol who are being held captive. The leaders of the UWC made the corresponding appeal during the UWC Summit in Bucharest.
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