Russia has officially deployed a battalion formed of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) to the frontline in Ukraine, further confirming a myriad of apparent Russian violations of the Geneva Convention on POWs.

Russian state-controlled outlets reported on December 28 that soldiers from the “Bogdan Khmelnitsky” battalion, formed of Ukrainian POWs and subordinated to the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Ministry of Internal Affairs “Kaskad” formation, took part in their first engagement against Ukrainian forces near Urozhaine, western Donetsk region.

  • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Wouldn’t arming your POWs, and grouping them in a battalion, be a risk?

    What is Russia doing to prevent this group from staging a mutiny and turning their guns on their captors? I imagine the Russians have some sort of leverage over these poor folks.

      • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I never said it was propaganda.

        For all we know the FSB could have the details about these soldier’s families, and or those families could be trapped in Russian controlled portions of Ukraine. Russia’s leverage would be these soldier’s wives, children, and parents.

    • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      They must have members of their family hostage or something. Otherwise I don’t see how that would even work.

      • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        You. Run towards the front line.

        If you don’t, I shoot you in the stomach now then torture you until you die. You never see your family and friends again.

        If you do, you’ll probably be shot and killed, but who knows? If you surrender at the right time, you might make it home. Probably not. But maybe?

        I’m sure it’s easy behind a keyboard to think you’d be strong after being a POW given those choices. But you wouldn’t. If you would, you’d have been tortured to death already.

        It’s not a video game. It’s not a movie. You’re not a main character.