Russian prisoners well-treated in Ukrainian captivity despite fears
"They hid in the forests because they feared torture and wanted to live. When they fell into the hands of Ukrainians, they were fed and now even praise their stay in captivity," according to the Polish Press Agency. Journalists visited a detention centre through which more than 350 Russian prisoners of war have passed since Ukrainian forces entered Russia.
"Since the beginning of the Kursk operation, more than 350 Russian prisoners have passed through our facility. Currently, we have over 70. Most of them are conscript soldiers, about 70%. They are young boys, 19-21 years old. The rest are mobilized and contract soldiers," reveals Volodymyr, the head of the detention centre.
Close to 600 Russians in captivity
Ukrainian Armed Forces entered Russia's Kursk region on 6th August and have been conducting operations there since. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, General Oleksandr Syrsky, during this time, 594 soldiers of the Russian Federation were taken captive.
Permission to visit the detention centre and meet with the Russian soldiers is issued by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Journalists are not allowed to mention the town or even the region where the facility is located. "Write that we are in one of the places in Ukraine. We hide this location because Russians could drop bombs even on their own," we hear at the entrance.
The cells for prisoners of war are located in the basement. Thick walls protect them from potential attacks, like in a shelter. In the first cell, which a guard opens with a large key, eight young men sit on bunks. A television plays, set on a table where one of them is eating porridge from an aluminium bowl.
"They come to us terrified because they are afraid of the torture that they were threatened within Russia. Their commanders told them it was better to blow themselves up than to fall into Ukrainian captivity. After a few days, when they see that no one is torturing them, they become calmer. They are bathed, fed, and receive medical help," says the head.
"They also get good food: as soon as they finish lunch, dinner is already on its way. Everything according to standards: meat, fish, Ukrainian borscht, fresh cabbage salads, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes," he lists proudly.
They claim to be civilians
On the first bunk, just behind the door, two young men sit shoulder to shoulder. Sasha and Vanya claim to be civilians who were captured because they are of conscription age. Sasha has a short haircut and might look like a soldier. Vanya has long hair falling to his shoulders.
"They caught us in Sudzha; we live there. We are civilians, but we are of conscription age, so they took us. I hope they exchange us quickly. My ID card says I completed military service in 2021-2022. I am a civilian; I didn't fight," assures Vanya.
"We never even thought we would fight"
The next two, also sitting on one bunk, say they are conscript soldiers. They served near the border with Ukraine, although both hail from Siberia. Ruslan is from the city of Tyumen, near Kazakhstan, and Rustam is from Yamal in the far north.
"We never even thought we would fight. As conscript soldiers, we shouldn't participate in combat according to the law. But the Ukrainian army entered Russia, and what happened happened," explains Rustam.
They spent eight months in the Russian army. When Ukrainian troops crossed the border section they were guarding, they ran away.
"We heard on our television that Ukrainians treat prisoners very badly, and we were terrified of them. But when they caught us, they gave us cigarettes, food, and drinks. We hadn't eaten or drunk for two weeks. We drank water from puddles or leftover bottles found in the bushes on the roadside of the road. They treat us well," says Ruslan.
"For two weeks, we hid from people, avoiding any contact. On the night of August 21, we managed to get out of Sudzha's outskirts. We intended to walk to Kursk. We set off through the fields and ran into Ukrainian soldiers," adds Rustam.
"We want to return home, to our parents"
Russian prisoners have no answer to the question about their country's war against Ukraine. "We just want to return home to our parents. And to our homeland, whatever it may be. War is evil; it is bad when people suffer," they repeat.
Despite being captured, their families already know where they are. They have been allowed to call their loved ones and send letters through the Red Cross.
"We call the father in Russia, saying his son is in our captivity, and he responds: I don't have time; I went fishing. It's hard to understand what kind of people they are," relates one of the Ukrainian officers present during the detention centre visit.
He speculates that after the exchange and return to Russia, the prisoners will face filtering. "Special services will interrogate them, and officers can forget about their careers," he predicts.
He also explains that many prisoners have criminal records in Russia. "We had three people convicted of drug offences. One was in for robbery. 90% of the Russian contract soldiers are bank debtors. They joined the army for money to pay off debt," he says.
The officer confirms that Russians who fell into Ukrainian captivity do not feel guilty about the ongoing war. He believes it hasn't affected Russian society's attitude towards Ukraine or Russians' views on their own government.
"In Russia, people won't protest against the war. There, between common sense and television, television wins," he states.
