And, he adds, he never wants to serve in the army again. But, should they arrive in Ukraine and refuse to fight, they will be considered deserters and shot. And they killed him. and RollingNews.ie unless otherwise stated. UKRAINIAN forces have captured "hundreds" of Russian troops near the capital Kyiv, one of the country's MPs has claimed. At the start of the month, the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said the country had captured 200 Russians - a figure that has likely risen since. Surviving President Vladimir Putin's poisoners was just a warm-up, not a warning, for Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny. During his visit to the city of Izyum, a key area in the northeast of Ukraine, Mr Zelensky thanked his troops for their efforts as the country takes the initiative in the war. Prisoners of war described being beaten, including with batons and wooden hammers, kicked, and given electric shocks with Tasers and a military phone known as TAPik. Soldiers fighting for Ukraine appear to shoot a Russian prisoner of war outside a village west of Kyiv in a video posted online. He continues to move, so the soldier shoots again, and he stops. Hes gasping, a man in the video can be heard saying in Russian a language widely spoken in Ukraine. There are, apparently, three cardinal sins recruits can commit. The conflict was triggered by the Ukrainian Revolution - when an uprising overthrew the pro-Russian government of Viktor. "Another successful POWs (prisoners of war) swap. Express. Subscribe to leave a comment. Under international law, "the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment is absolute, even indeed especially in times of armed conflict . During interviews with him and two other POWs, a guard, a psychologist from the pre-trial detention center, and other prisoners were present. The UN has called on both sides to treat POWs humanely and to promptly and effectively investigate all alleged cases of torture and ill-treatment. I wish Prigozhin never came., While the exact number of Russian inmates being brought into war with Ukraine is difficult to establish, a US official said on Monday that the Wagner Group was trying to recruit more than 1,500 convicted felons. The Russians are held separately from the other prisoners. Captured Russian inmates who have been sent to the front lines in Ukraine as part of the Wagner Group, an infamous mercenary organization with ties to the Kremlin, say they've witnessed public. Video allegedly shows Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin recruiting prisoners to go fight in Ukraine. Detainees appeared with bandages and . To conclude, I would like to emphasize the fundamental obligation of states to treat all prisoners of war in their power humanely at all times, from the moment they are captured until their release and repatriation, and to allocate sufficient resources to ensure implementation of this obligation. Nor are measures of reprisal against prisoners of war permitted by those who capture them, though POWs can be detained if they are kept safe and healthy. She said: He told me he was doing it for me and our baby. DW was able to get exclusive access and speak with prisoners in one facility. It could, depending on the circumstances, be a war crime, she warned, but that would of course be for a court to establish. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. policy. Telegram. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Monday that she did not talk to her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Turkey last week about a possible prisoner exchange. Since the Russian Federation did not grant us such access, and we conducted the interviews with Ukrainian prisoners of war upon their release. Ill start with former Ukrainian prisoners of war who were in the hands of the Russian Federation. Thirdly, recruits are forbidden from marauding, including looting and any form of sexual relations. In addition, there are expenses for medical equipment and medicine, as well as staffing costs. According to the guards, plastic cutlery is normally used inprison for safety reasons. They say representatives of the United Nations or the Red Cross come by every week. There's no question this shows the weak and soft morale of Russian forces, but these weren't in the main the best quality Russian forces. The Wagner group, run by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, uses former prison inmates to fight on the front line, and was dubbed 'Putin's most dangerous secret weapon in the Ukraine invasion. The guards did not listen to the conversation. You can obtain a copy of the (Narciso Contreras/Getty Images), George Santos used Jewish name on GoFundMe because he thought 'Jews will give more,' former roommate says. Sviatoslav Yurash was speaking after an overnight attempt by Vladimir Putin . We all compare it to Russian roulette. More on this story: List of civilians, children, repatriation of wounded: Ukrainian Ombudsman summarises results of negotiations with Russian counterpart Background: After the meeting between Lubinets and Moskalkova in Ankara, Turkish ombudsman eref Malko said that Ukraine and Russia are working on a major exchange in which a total of 1,000 people can be involved. Artyomcalls the Russian army "looters and murderers" when speaking with DW. There are no official figures on how many Russian soldiers are detained in Ukraine. Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) pose after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 24, 2022. 50 Ukrainian soldiers are back," Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office said on Twitter. The vast majority of those we interviewed told us that during their internment they were tortured and ill-treated. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies Ukraine: Thousands of Russian mercenaries - many of whom were recruited from prisons - have led a push against Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region, leaving neighbourhoods flattened by days of intense fighting. DON'T MISS:Putins mobilisation speech is an admission he is losing the war'[REVEAL]Putin vows to use nuclear weapons if Russia's territory threatened[INSIGHT]German far-right set to tour Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine[ANALYSIS], She said: The process is accelerating. DW spoke with prisoner Oleg from Karelia in private in a separate room. The overall conditions of internment are dire. These guys were running for their lives. The head of Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group said that a first group of prisoners whom it recruited to fight in Ukraine have completed their service and been pardoned, state media reported. The higher-up is killed if his team deserts.". The Ukrainian military, he says, took him along and provided medical care. Ivan, an inmate from the Tambov region south of Moscow who says Mr Prigozhin tried to recruit him, told the Guardian: The truth is we, thieves and killers, are now fighting Russias war.. It's not just to demilitarize Ukraine or defeat the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but now cities of peaceful civilians are. The food is balanced," says Roman. Either I die in this s***hole or I die there, it doesnt matter that much. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Footage allegedly shows Ukrainian soldiers killing captured Russian prisoner of war video, BBC investigators attempted to biometrically match, discovery of mass civilian graves in Bucha. We await progress in these cases. "In the beginning, we were told it was about humanitarian things. On the other side, Russias defence ministry says it has captured more than 500 Ukrainians. This morning Putin announced a partial mobilisation of its military, calling up 300,000 army reservists for the invasion. Two Russian soldiers have been captured by Ukrainian soldiers, according to the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), a collection of investigators based between Russia and Ukraine. , 400px wide Prigozhin explains that basic training will cover what to do with the two grenades each soldier is given in case they are captured the insinuation being that soldiers should blow themselves up rather than allow themselves to be taken prisoner. We have received information about eight other such alleged deaths there in April 2022 and we are working to corroborate them. March 28, 2022 9:01am Updated Ukraine has vowed to investigate after graphic videos emerged purporting to show the horrific abuse of Russian prisoners of war, including some who were shot in. The return of Ukrainian civilians, who have been serving long . Russian forces have been pushing hard to take the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region and have managed to make some advances into the nearby town of Soledar in recent days, according to assessments from the US military and British defense ministry. While some recruited prisoners may desert or disobey orders, others "are just fucked up and bulldoze their way through," Drozdov said, noting that these fighters "are very different from ordinary mercenaries." International conventions dictate how these prisoners should be treated and what they can and cant be used for, which apply to the situation in Ukraine because it is an armed conflict. However, several women did recount being beaten, electrocuted and threatened with sexual violence during interrogations in other locations. Last month, a top Ukrainian military advisor said that Russian prisoners fighting with Wagner were being shoved to the front line and "killed in big quantities.". Relatives of inmates at two prisons outside St Petersburg, IK-7 . The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said he had not seen the video, but stated: I will say that every report on potential violations of international law should be followed or looked into, and of course, any violation of international law and any war crime is always unacceptable.. Such treatment does appear to be humiliating and degrading, she said. The Mirror also reported Russian troops are waging a ferocious house-to-house battle in eastern Ukraine - as President Vladimir Putin slapped a major reshuffle on top generals. pic.twitter.com/Gp3IOVHuAq, Prigozhin insinuates that soldiers should blow themselves up rather than allow themselves to be taken prisoner. His unit tried to return to Russia, but the commander forbade it. Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Thursday he was aware of the video and it would definitely be investigated. Jack Taylor Moscow The first group of Russian prisoners offered an amnesty in return for fighting in Ukraine has been released, the head of a mercenary group that employed them said in a video. On the table next to their beds is a stack of books. On the way out they looted what they could. In one instance, Novikov reportedly recalled, "shelling began, one of the prisoners laid down and didn't cover his own [men]. Seif Magango - +254 788 343 897 / seif.magango@un.org, Twitter @UNHumanRights THERE WAS INTERNATIONAL condemnation earlier this week following the emergence of multiple videos which showed captured Russian prisoners of war (POWs) giving statements denouncing their countrys invasion of Ukraine. Novikov said there are "squadrons of liquidators" that deal with troops considered to be problematic. The broadcaster believes the word Gruziny which means Georgians in Russian can also be heard. submissions or preferences. Host Michael Safi asked: "What did this Russian withdrawal look like? We documented cases of torture and ill-treatment, mostly when people were captured, first interrogated, or moved to transit camps and places of internment. The prisoners say they like to read detective stories and novels. The EU has sanctioned the Wagner Group, accusing it of performing clandestine operations on the Kremlins behalf. Nevertheless, if the Russian army continues to flounder in Ukraine, recruitment drives such as these might become more frequent as Putin tries to turn the course of the war around. According to Bogner, however, UN observers had also received information that Russian soldiers were allegedly mistreated and tortured after their capture. However, despite Ukraine's huge advances, Mr Sabbagh warned the country has also seen many of its soldiers captured by Russia. Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, In Geneva Either you have the Wagner Group and prisoners, or your children its up to you.. You have no business being here!'". There's a common table for all, with plastic dishes, spoons and forks for each prisoner. Prisoners have been described as the Kremlins saviours and Russia's media is gushing in praise for Yevgeniy Prigozhins Wagner mercenary group. Press conferences in Kyiv appear intent on showing fighters are being captured. and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, "We were not told where we were going. Ivan declined the job offer but he said roughly 120 inmates signed up and were now fighting in Ukraine after a one-week training course. The Daily Star reports a captured soldier who said: "Those who disobey are eliminated and its done publicly,". 5 min. The Pentagon press secretary said: "We've talked about some of those things, in terms of logistics problems, command and control problems, sustainment problems, morale and the large failure to achieve the strategic objectives that they've set for themselves. Prison staff say that Russian soldier Vadim S., who was also imprisoned along with the prisoners here, allegedly only confessed to shooting and killing a civilian in the Sumy region during a lie detector test. A Ukrainian website purporting to count the number of Russian POWs gives an unofficial count of 378. In his nightly address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy painted a grim picture of the situation in the town. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own Photos showed them sitting on opposite sides of a table. Both parties must do so, fairly, promptly and impartially. Nicola Sturgeon and the truth about transphobia. In Ukraine, captured Russian soldiers say their government tricked them. Seven men of different ages are sitting in one of the cells. The Russians claim Ukrainian forces shot unarmed Russian prisoners of war, while Ukraine's commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, claims Russian soldiers opened fire during the act of . The idea that Russia might eventually start forcing its inmates to go to war was a view shared by others the Guardian spoke to. Some are deemed to be prisoners of war, even though they never took part in the fighting. This video shows Russian soldiers being interrogated.. Prisoners with combat experience across Russia are being recruited en masse to fight in Ukraine, the Gulagu.net prisoner's rights group has . The first batch of prisoners to survive six months of fighting in Ukraine was recently released back into Russia, with the head of the mercenary group celebrating them as heroes deserving of great respect while also advising them not to drink too much, do drugs, rape women, or kill. However, Amnesty International has expressed concerns that Ukraine may have violated the Geneva Convention around prisoners of war by using them in propaganda videos. According to the meal plan posted in the hallway, food is served three times a day. The prevention of torture starts with ensuring that independent monitors have access to detainees. Last month, 150 men . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the liberated territory in Ukraine after his forces clawed back 3,000 square miles in a matter of days. The Russian Federation must allow - on a regular basis - full, confidential and unimpeded access to prisoners of war, in particular in their places of internment. How could Vladimir Putin be prosecuted for war crimes? And they say they have witnesses public executions by their their own leaders. Learn more about each topic, see who's involved, and find the latest news, reports, events and more. At the beginning of the summer, reports began to surface of prisoners being recruited as canon-fodder for the rapidly depleting Russian forces. He added: "So Russian soldiers did what I'm afraid they've made a habit of doing. After footage emerged showing Russian prisoners of war being used by Ukrainian officials at a press conference, theInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that such prisoners must not be mistreated. Other described forms of physical abuse, including being stabbed, shot with a stun gun, threatened with mock executions, being hung by the hands or legs, and burned with cigarettes. The prisoners are also said to have been examined by a lie detector. BBC investigators attempted to biometrically match the face of one of the men in the video, who can be seen facing the camera with a distinctive beard. Jeremy Laurence + +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org or, In Nairobi They must also be protected against acts of violence or intimidation, as well as against insults and public curiosity a ruling that sparked the concern of humanitarian groups when Russians appeared in front of Ukrainian cameras. Prigozhin has been praised by Russian state-controlled media. Alexander Drozdov, another former inmate cited in the report, said many of the Russian prisoners sent to the front line in Ukraine by Wagner are drug addicts and "completely insane." According to the video, the Wagner Group is looking for recruits aged 22 to 50; anyone younger would need permission from relatives to join up, while anyone older would be accepted on a case by case basis: Good physical shape is essential. Prisoners serving sentences for drug or sexual offences will be screened carefully but we understand that mistakes happen. The boss is killed if his team deserts.". The government in Kyiv has said it is looking into one video that purports to show Ukrainians shooting Russian prisoners in the legs. The former inmate reportedly added: "There are squadrons of liquidators shelling began. Russian President Vladimir Putin "has given orders to commit crimes. He said this week: If changes are not made, I will be forced to go to the countrys leadership to explain to them the situation on the ground.". "Honestly, we were deceived,"Roman, who is from Vyborg in Russia, tells us. Several such videos have come to light since the beginning of the war, and show things like footage of blindfolded soldierssaying that the by Russia is wrong, or captured prisoners tearfully calling their mothers back home. Its unknown how many of the prisoners in the video enlisted into the Wagner Group. 2023 (3.0.23016.8) 24.com. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. More info. A man responds with the phrase: Glory to heroes., The audio ends with a man saying: Do not [expletive] come to our land.. advertising. The latest Kremlin changes at the top of its military could signal a new and terrifying escalation as Russia's military leaders compete for better results in Ukraine. Experts suggested that taking and publishing images of prisoners of war may constitute a war crime. Russia is recruiting prisoners and advertising on billboards to urge men to join the army. "On the western outskirts of Soledar there are heavy bloody battles. Readers like you keep news free for everyone. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Initially, they kept quiet, assuming chaplains to be part of Ukraine's security apparatus. Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 50 captured soldiers on Sunday in a deal both sides welcomed even as they fought one another in eastern Ukraine. 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