https://sputnikglobe.com/20260813/ukraine-ideologically-selects-pows-by-reclaiming-some-and-writing-others-off--expert-1124574100.html

Ukraine ‘Ideologically Selects’ PoWs by Reclaiming Some and Writing Others Off – Expert

Ukraine ‘Ideologically Selects’ PoWs by Reclaiming Some and Writing Others Off – Expert

Sputnik International

Ukraine does not take back all of its prisoners of war, only those it considers ideologically or politically useful, Institute of CIS Countries leading researcher Alexander Dudchak tells Sputnik.

2026-08-13T13:33+0000

2026-08-13T13:33+0000

2026-08-13T13:33+0000

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"Those who could tell the truth about conditions in Russian captivity – that they are fed, receive medical care, and are treated humanely – are taken back last, or not taken at all," Dudchak says. Who is given priority? The Dead are of No Use to Ukraine The situation is especially troubling when it comes to the dead. Ukraine is extremely reluctant to take back the bodies: they must be identified, processed, transported, and families must then be compensated. According to the UN, only about 30% of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the conflict have been returned, even though Russia has handed over tens of thousands. The rest remain in morgues on the Russian side, because Ukraine has little incentive to take them back: each body means compensation payments to the family, which authorities are trying to minimize. Ideological Selection Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova has said that Russia is ready to hand over 224 Ukrainian nationals serving prison sentences in exchange for Russian prisoners of war, but Ukraine refuses to take them back. This is not an isolated case: Ukraine has rejected exchange proposals more than ten times since the start of 2026, each time setting new conditions, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. *Banned as terrorists in Russia

https://sputnikglobe.com/20260813/ukraine-refuses-to-take-own-pows-as-it-considers-them-expendable--expert-1124573472.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20260706/leave-the-moldovan-let-him-die--pow-exposes-ethnic-discrimination-in-ukrainian-ranks-1124403281.html

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ukraine, russia, the united nations (un), russian ministry of defense, azov battalion, pow, military & intelligence, opinion

Ukraine does not take back all of its prisoners of war, only those it considers ideologically or politically useful, Institute of CIS Countries leading researcher Alexander Dudchak tells Sputnik.