Ukrainian political prisoner Oleksandr Shumkov on Thursday, December 24, returned to Ukraine, said authorized representative of the Verkhovna Rada for human rights Liudmyla Denisova.

"Now he has crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border and arrived at the Bachevsk automobile checkpoint, where he was met by his relatives, a representative of the Ombudsman's Office and representatives of the territorial bodies of the military administration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Denisova wrote on her Facebook page.

She noted that Shumkov was released from the colony in the town of Torzhok in Tver region on December 23, after which he was transferred to a temporary detention center for foreign citizens of the Russian Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Tver region.

"Today he will go to Kherson to the military unit, where he did military service before being detained," Denisova added.

As reported, in early December 2018, a court in Briansk region found guilty of participation in an extremist organization of a Ukrainian citizen, serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Shumkov, whom the investigation called former bodyguard of leader of the Right Sector organization Dmytro Yarosh.

The court sentenced Shumkov to four years in a general regime colony. On October 16, 2019, Shumkov went on a hunger strike due to the systematic violation of his rights by the employees of Tverskaya jail and the psychological pressure on him.