Ukrainian prisoners of war – fighting for Russia.
It is about to become a reality, according to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.
But the move is against the Geneva Convention.
– It is not surprising. Russia has already broken all other rules, says Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi.
A Russian battalion made up of Ukrainian prisoners of war is likely to be deployed to the war in Ukraine shortly. The reports Institute for the Study of War (ISW) referring to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
The Ukrainian soldiers are expected to form part of the new Bohdan Khmelnytskyj battalion, thus becoming the first known POWs to be deployed in the war.
However, using captured soldiers from the other side in a conflict is against the Geneva Convention, an international agreement which stipulates, among other things, that no prisoners of war may be sent to war zones.
– It is neither permissible nor surprising. The Russian side has already committed several similar war crimes, including in the form of mobilizing large parts of the male population in Russian-occupied areas, says Joakim Paasikivi.
“Made primarily for propaganda purposes”
The prisoners of war are said to have been brought in from Russian penal colonies and to be around 70 in number. Russian sources state that they will be given similar status to the regular forces and receive similar pay and benefits.
But the actual military usefulness of it all is questioned. It should instead be seen as pure propaganda from the Russian side, says Joakim Paasikivi.
– It is an extremely marginal phenomenon. What is outrageous is that it is being done. It is hardly the case that Russians can gather extremely large units through this. It is done more for propaganda purposes, he says.
Could be a problem for Russian security services
The new battalion is expected to be sent to the border between Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk regions and join the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic’s “Cascade” group.
Despite the fact that, according to Russian information, the soldiers must have sworn allegiance to Russia, there is reason to question the loyalty of the illegally newly recruited.
– It could become a problem for the Russian security service, which cannot be completely sure that they could be used as infiltrators by Ukraine. During the Second World War, Hitler similarly tried to attract more or less loyalists for propaganda purposes with mixed success, says Joakim Paasikivi.