To date, Russia is persecuting 130 Ukrainian citizens on political and religious charges, of whom 121 are in prison, including two women, Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova has said.

"Today is the Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner... Now Russia is persecuting 130 Ukrainian citizens on politically motivated charges, of whom 121 are in prison, including two women (15 in the temporarily occupied Crimea, 106 in the territory of Russia) and nine people deprived of the right to freedom of movement," Denisova said on her Facebook page.

According to her information, some 76 people have already been sentenced to long terms, some 45 people are under trial and investigation. The ombudsman said that among the prisoners there are parents with many children, people with serious illnesses, public journalists and human rights activists.

"In the families of the Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin, some 207 underage children were left without parental care and attention," Denisova said.

Thus, the ombudsman said the protection of the rights of Ukrainians and their release is her priority and "a common task of all authorities and the international community for the ultimate goal of returning to their homeland."