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Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Lubinets for the first time, according to reports from the Russian state news agency TASS. The two ombudspersons met on the Belarus-Ukraine border and agreed to expand cooperation in humanitarian assistance, including joint visits to prisoners of war and the establishment of communication channels for the families of killed soldiers.

Coverage comparison

Details of the meeting emerged in three separate TASS reports published between June 1 and June 7. The first report, which preceded the meeting, quoted Lantratova as saying she would hold talks with Lubinets and discussed the return of Kursk region residents from Ukraine. Two later reports detailed the outcome of the negotiations, with Lantratova describing the talks as productive and outlining specific areas of cooperation.

Key claims

  • Lantratova and Lubinets met in person on the Belarus-Ukraine border, marking their first direct engagement.
  • The ombudspersons agreed to expand cooperation in humanitarian assistance, including exchanging lists of people ready for transfer and continuing joint visits to prisoners of war in both countries.
  • They established a communication channel to assist families of soldiers killed on either side who may reside in the other country, aiming to ease bureaucratic hurdles related to paperwork, payments, and benefits.
  • More than 160 residents of Russia's Kursk region, including 16 children, have been returned from Ukraine through the efforts of the Russian human rights office, according to Lantratova.
  • The two sides also agreed to exchange documents necessary for nationals of both countries to receive payments, with Lubinets reportedly expressing readiness to help.

Perspectives

Russia's human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova framed the meeting as a continuation of existing best practices between the two offices, while acknowledging the lack of diplomatic relations between the countries. Her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Lubinets, was quoted by TASS as agreeing to the cooperation, though no direct quotes from him were published in the reports. The Ukrainian government has not publicly commented on the meeting as of this writing.