Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responds to handover of Ukrainian PoWs from Russia to Hungary

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has responded to information from the Hungarian authorities concerning the handover of 11 prisoners of war who are ethnic Hungarians from the Zakarpattia (Transcarpathian) region of Ukraine.

Source: Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on Facebook; European Pravda

Nikolenko said the Ukrainian government had not been informed of the negotiations between the Hungarian and Russian sides concerning this matter. Ukraine found out about the handover of the 11 prisoners of war from a statement by Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister.

Nikolenko noted that the Hungarian chargé d’affaires had been invited to the Foreign Ministry today to discuss the situation.

"The Ukrainian side has submitted a request for detailed information about our citizens and urgent access to the Ukrainian consul for the liberated Ukrainians, so that they can have a medical assessment and be provided with consular assistance. The need to coordinate action with regard to such sensitive issues as the liberation of prisoners of war was highlighted during the meeting," he added.

Nikolenko stressed that "the liberation of Ukrainian prisoners of war is always good news".

Earlier Zsolt Semjén, Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister for Church Affairs, confirmed the handover of 11 Transcarpathian Hungarian prisoners of war, which had previously been reported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Semjén himself coordinated the handover.

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