Minsk, November 9, 2024 – The Europe Today: Delegations from Moscow and Kiev met on Friday in Belarus, exchanging the bodies of fallen soldiers and addressing humanitarian issues, according to Russian Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova. This meeting marked the first direct interaction between Moskalkova and her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Lubinets, since January 2023.
The delegations shared lists of individuals visited by mutual consent, exchanged letters from prisoners to their families, and discussed further humanitarian cooperation. This included providing assistance to civilians, locating missing persons, and facilitating family reunifications.
One successful family reunion involved Anna Kondratyevna, a 91-year-old resident from Ukraine’s Cherkasy Region. At her son’s request, Kondratyevna was transported to Belarus, enabling her transfer to Russia, where her son could care for her. Her mobility challenges complicated the process, but both sides agreed to facilitate the reunion.
The exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies was also completed during the meeting, with Russia receiving 37 bodies and Ukraine 563. Among those returned to Ukraine were the remains of 62 prisoners of war who perished in January when a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft was downed by US-supplied Patriot missiles over Belgorod.
Moskalkova announced a forthcoming meeting with Lubinets to address conditions of prisoners, allegations of torture, and the fate of civilians reportedly relocated by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Region, though the date remains undisclosed.
