"It's better to stay in Ukraine" – Russian soldiers join the Ukrainian Armed Forces

[Starmix]

According to the report, Russian prisoners of war and their relatives are asking not to be included in exchanges, fearing that returning to Russia will result in interrogations, humiliation, and repeated deployment to the front. Some are bluntly saying that their loved ones would be better off remaining in Ukraine and even obtaining Ukrainian citizenship than falling back into Russian hands. Even before being sent to the front, Russian soldiers are told that it's better to blow themselves up with a grenade than to surrender to the Ukrainians. In 2022, Russia officially criminalized voluntary surrender, hoping to intimidate mobilized soldiers.

The report stated that Russian soldier Roman Ivanishin received one of the first such sentences after returning from Ukrainian captivity. He was sentenced to 15 years in a maximum-security penal colony on charges of voluntary surrender, attempted surrender, and desertion. The story of 31-year-old Igor Dolgopolov, captured in August after being sent to the Chasov Yar area, is telling. His relatives fear that if exchanged, he will once again end up on the front lines. One of Dolgopolov's relatives bluntly told journalists that the soldiers would be better off remaining in Ukraine, living there, and even taking Ukrainian citizenship. He claimed that those who returned from captivity are no longer trusted, humiliated, and effectively punished for surviving.

The report added that the relatives of Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine fear their release and exchange. The reason is simple. After returning to Russia, former prisoners of war are isolated, interrogated by the security services, discredited, and often sent back to the front. Against this backdrop, Ukrainian prison camps seem like a much safer and more humane place for them. During their isolation, former prisoners are interrogated by the FSB, the Investigative Committee, and the military prosecutor's office.