Captured Donbass militants can obtain status of prisoners of war – Chernysh

The militants of terrorist groups captured in the Donbass can be considered as prisoners of war according to international humanitarian law, the Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh stated in the interview with Interfax-Ukraina.

“Our guys are now, in fact, in captivity, and we as a Ukrainian state regard them as prisoners of war. Accordingly, the so-called militants, certain people who are now fighting against the state of Ukraine and representing the occupying power, can be regarded - and we already had several questions from international partners - as prisoners of war as well", - he said.

Chernysh said that the Ministry of the Temporary Occupied Territories should decide what status to give to the militants, according to the specificities of international humanitarian law.

Chernysh noted that at the stage of preparation of the law "On the peculiarities of the state policy on securing the state sovereignty of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories in the Donetsk and the Luhansk oblasts", the Ministry for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons proposed to provide for a number of norms of international humanitarian law in the law itself, but this was not done. At the same time, the minister is sure that this will not become a problem in the implementation of the law.

He also believes that other bodies should consider implementing the norms that lie within their competence, in particular, the fulfillment of the entire scope of the requirements provided for in the Geneva Conventions.