The pretrial detention centre of Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation) has confirmed Ukrainian political prisoner Artur Panov is alive, Rada's Human Rights Commissioner Valeria Lutkovska has said.

"There is evidence provided by the pretrial detention centre that Panov is alive, but I would like to talk to the consul tomorrow, who also has information at his disposal and also keeps control of the issue. We have been asking the Foreign Ministry for a year to pay more attention to this guy, taking into account that he is sick. He has a number of diagnoses," Lutkovska said on Channel 5 on Tuesday night.

The ombudsman said that she could not get through the Russian ombudsman, but she would continue trying to get into touch with him.

According to investigators, a Ukrainian citizen, who was an active supporter of the ideas of nationalism, decided to commit a terrorist act in Rostov-on-Don with the help of an improvised explosive device. He intended to do this in a place of mass gathering of people.

In order to fulfill the plan, the accused began to correspond with a citizen of Rostov in social networks. The Ukrainian told him that a terrorist attack was planned on the territory of Rostov-on-Don, and promised him a monetary reward and travel outside Russia in case of success.

A citizen of Ukraine made and stored explosive devices at home. From November to December 2015, he was searching for potential objects with a massive stay of people, and also carried out reconnaissance of the antiterrorist security systems available to them.

At the end of November 2015, Panov and a local resident met in Rostov-on-Don, where the Rostov resident learned the details of the planned attack, the power of the explosive device and the components from which it would be manufactured, as well as the alleged site of the terrorist act.

In early December 2015, the Ukrainian citizen was detained by law enforcement officers. The Rostov resident was detained in April 2016.

A citizen of Ukraine is accused of preparing for a terrorist act and an attempt to involve a person in its commission, the illegal manufacture of explosives and the public justification of terrorism, a resident of Rostov-on-Don - in the promotion of terrorist activities.