Russia Allegedly Deploys Ukrainian Prisoners of War to Fight on Moscow's Side, Possibly Violating Geneva Conventions

POWs reported coerced into fighting for Russia despite claims of "voluntary recruitment"; experts call into question violations of international war laws amidst a mounting need for forces.

• Russia is reportedly deploying Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) to fight against their own country in the war between Russia and Ukraine, a claim made by Russian state media RIA Novosti, though its authenticity is yet to be confirmed.
• RIA Novosti reports reveal that these POWs swore allegiance to Russia when they joined a battalion, raising concerns about the powers of coercion at play, as experts suggest that prisoners of war lack the 'huge amount of agency' required to make such decisions autonomously.
• Human rights experts and international law scholars suggest that this move might violate the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits the exposure of POWs to combat, whether voluntary or forced, or their engagement in dangerous and unhealthy work environments.
• There have also been previous reports of Ukrainian POWs “volunteering” for these battalions when they were housed in Olenivka prison, a location destroyed by a blast in 2022. Russia claimed Ukraine was responsible for this attack while Kyiv blamed Moscow, alleging it as a cover-up for abuse and killings of POWs.
• In addition to using Ukrainian POWs, Russia is said to bolster forces by conscripting Ukrainians living in occupied territories and deploying its prisoners in exchange for commuted sentences, raising further questions about the nature of 'voluntary recruitment' Russia asserts.

3 Articles

HuffPost Associated Press Business Insider