Letters to captives must be written in Russian inside unsealed envelopes
Sending letters to Ukrainian defenders and civilians held in Russian captivity is conducted through three state institutions under strict rules. The primary requirement of the aggressor state is that the text and envelopes must be written exclusively in the Russian language using block letters. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
International legal documents and the Geneva Conventions guarantee prisoners the right to correspondence, but the receiving state holds the authority to censor mail. Non-compliance with the guidelines may cause the return of the letter or worsen the conditions of the detainee.
The contents of the letter must be limited to politically neutral family news and supportive words. Providing home addresses, phone numbers, email contacts, or enclosing drawings and postcards is strictly prohibited.
Sending mail via the Coordination Headquarters
To send a letter through the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, senders must use an unsealed white envelope without stamps or stickers. All details must be written clearly in block letters.
The top left corner must state the full name of the sender, while the bottom right corner contains the prisoner’s full name and date of birth. Letters can be delivered to Consultation Centers or the public reception office at 37 Spaska Street in Kyiv.
Requirements of the Ombudsman Office and Information Bureau
When sending mail through the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, the sender must also specify their family relationship under their full name. The reception office is located at 21/8 Instytutska Street in Kyiv.
The National Information Bureau mandates that all details on the inner stamp-free envelope be written in Russian. Outer postal envelopes are sent to the Ukrainian National Center for Peacebuilding via Ukrposhta or to Nova Poshta branch No. 167 in Kyiv.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
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