Currently, some 2,000 Ukrainian citizens remain in detention in Russia. Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova claimed this on Facebook.
"In 2018 alone, 176 our citizens were arrested; 692 people were judged for illegal drug traffic. As of June 30, 2019, 1,989 people have been illegally held in Russian prisons. According to the specified information, the number makes some 2,000 citizens of Ukraine", Denisova said.
She added that since 2015, a transnational criminal gang has been acting in Ukraine; it recruits Ukrainian citizens and involves them in illegal drug traffic activity in Russia.
Currently, the precise number of detainees held in Russia is unknown yet; this is due to the fact that Russia does not observe the conditions of the 1993 Consular Convention between Ukraine and Russia.
