As of December 2024, 301 Ukrainian civilian women are in Russian captivity, with 25 detained before Russia's full-scale invasion and 276 taken since, according to Olha Skrypnyk, head of the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG), speaking on Dec. 11.
“These are not the final figures; there are many more women in Russian captivity. It is very difficult to confirm this because Russia refuses to provide information about civilians,” Skrypnyk said, highlighting that the number of women detained after Feb. 24, 2022, is 11 times higher than before.
Skrypnyk stressed that the primary government priority is to secure the release of all prisoners of war and civilians, noting the importance of post-release assistance.
She called for clear measures to support former hostages and their families, urging the continuation of the Commission for establishing the fact of deprivation of personal freedom to facilitate state assistance.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, at least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have died in captivity, according to Victoria Tsymbaliuk of the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Additionally, at least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia, with fewer than 400 returned home, according to the Children of War database.
Ukraine continues to advocate for an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was a key topic during the peace summit held in Switzerland in June.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
