The world A soldier stands guard at a prison in Olenivka in Donetsk, an area under Russian control. The picture is from last year. Photo: AP / NTB Read more Close
NTB
Nov. 8 2023 23:27 – Updated Nov 8 2023 23:31
Russia will send Ukrainian prisoners of war to the front in Ukraine to fight on the Russian side, writes the state news agency Ria.
The news agency claims the soldiers swear allegiance to Russia and have volunteered to fight on Moscow’s side in the war. It is supposed to be a separate battalion of Ukrainian prisoners of war to be deployed at the front.
The claims have not been independently verified. If it is true that Russia will use Ukrainian prisoners of war as soldiers, it is a violation of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
– Russian authorities claim they have recruited them on a voluntary basis, but it is difficult to imagine a scenario where a prisoner of war’s decision can be made completely voluntarily, says Yulia Gorbunova at Human Rights Watch.
Earlier this year, it was claimed in the Russian media that 70 Ukrainian prisoners of war had enlisted as soldiers for Russia.
2023-11-08 22:27:32
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