Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed its strong protest in connection with the failure of the Russian side to provide the necessary medical examination and treatment to a citizen of Ukraine Server Mustafayev illegally detained in the Russian Federation and demands Russia conduct his medical examination immediately.

"We insist on the immediate medical examination of a citizen of Mustafayev in a specialized medical institution in accordance with international standards, including with the aim of eliminating the possibility of infection with the coronavirus infection COVID-19, and providing qualified medical care in a place of confinement," the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

According to the agency, in recent days Mustafayev has a high temperature, a dry cough, a severe headache and weakness throughout the body. "Given the pandemic, these are alarming symptoms that are ignored by the Russian side," the ministry said.

The commentary emphasizes that the Russian Federation deliberately neglects the grave state of health of an illegally detained citizen of Ukraine and tries to hide it.

Also, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed concern that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical safety in prisons of Russia and in Russia-occupied territories could be systemic, which would seriously jeopardize the health and lives of illegally detained citizens of Ukraine.

"The challenge in the form of a pandemic of a new virus that does not take into account borders and nationality is a good opportunity for the Russian Federation to recall the universal values and norms of international law. We call on the international community to increase political, economic and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation in order to stop Russia's gross violations of human rights and the release of all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine," the ministry said. .

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has also noted that Mustafayev's state of health was critical and called on Russia to provide Mustafayev and other Ukrainians with professional medical care.

"Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and in the Crimea are left without medical assistance. Many have poor health. They are vulnerable to diseases, for example, COVID-19. We urge Russia to immediately see doctors and ombudsmen for our citizens, providing health monitoring, medical care," he said on Twitter on Monday.

Mustafayev's server, a Crimean Tatar activist and public figure, has been illegally held by Russia for almost two years for political reasons on trumped-up charges of terrorist activity, the Foreign Ministry said.