Russia is said to have contacted Ukraine about prisoners
The Ukrainian offensive is making prisoner-of-war issues a bigger topic again. Kyiv's troops are said to have filled the so-called "exchange fund" of the country in recent days. Moscow has reportedly already contacted Kyiv.
During the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, various reports suggest that hundreds of Russian military personnel have been taken prisoner. President Selenskyj had already reported days ago that the Ukrainian armed forces were filling the "exchange fund" of the country to obtain captured Ukrainian troops from the Russian side in return. Talks about a new exchange have reportedly begun, according to the "Financial Times".
The human rights commissioner of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmytro Lubinets, is said to have told local media that his Russian counterpart had contacted him to discuss the exchange of prisoners of war.
The exact number of those taken prisoner so far is unknown. A Belarusian soldier fighting on the side of Ukraine recently said in an interview with the medium Zerkalo that there were "really very many". Many had surrendered without resistance, coming out with their hands up, without weapons, without body armor, and without helmets.
Reports of the largest capture so far
An official of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) told the "Financial Times" that his special units had recently captured 102 Russian soldiers from the 488th Motorized Rifle Regiment and the "Achmat" unit of Chechen leader Kadyrov. This is "the largest capture of the enemy at once," the source said.
Photos and videos of the captured soldiers are currently frequently shared on social networks, but the author and location of the recordings are unknown. The images appear to be recent, as ntv's verification could not assign them to an older context. According to the Ukrainian medium Unian, the recordings are from the SBU.
Whether a larger prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia will ultimately take place remains to be seen. In the past, the Ukrainian side has accused Moscow of blockades. Many Ukrainian army personnel released from Russian captivity are said to be in very poor physical condition. A UN report spoke of systematic torture and mistreatment.
The captured Russian soldiers, numbering 102 from the 488th Motorized Rifle Regiment and the "Achmat" unit, are currently being discussed as potential candidates for prisoner exchange. The human rights situation of Ukrainian prisoners-of-war previously held by the Russians is a contentious issue, with accusations of poor physical condition, systematic torture, and mistreatment being raised.
