Ukrainian-Born Soldiers Fighting for Russia: Accounts of POWs

All the Ukrainian-born prisoners of war interviewed claimed to have originated from territories occupied since 2014. The vast majority stated they had joined the Russian army voluntarily.

However, one individual from the Donetsk region recounted being coerced into fighting. He spoke with evident unease, his gaze shifting as if uncertain of who to trust.

According to one official intelligence report, over 50,000 Ukrainians have allegedly been conscripted against their will in occupied areas, with other estimates suggesting a significantly higher number.

This man explained that his family remained in their home during the Russian invasion, not out of political or national loyalty, but because Donetsk was their home.

His sole aspiration now is to reunite with his wife and children and subsequently avoid being redeployed to the front lines. "I'm just going to hide," he confided.

Beneath the hospital windows and freshly painted white walls, rows of strawberries and cucumbers have been planted by the prisoners.

Further along, the pungent smell of varnish from an outhouse is almost unbearable.

An official, with a grin, lifts a gold-colored plastic handle from a bag near the door and asks, "Guess what this is for?"

Inside, the sight is startling: men are busy assembling wooden coffins. I was informed that the prison's most recent contract was for garden sheds. This current task feels grim.

In another workshop across the courtyard, a small group of POWs are manufacturing artificial Christmas trees, their machines adorned with gaudy baubles. Like the coffin makers, they mention using their wages to purchase additional food and cigarettes.

Sergei, born in the Ukrainian city of Luhansk, asserts his Russian identity, mirroring his parents who relocated to the Donbas when both nations were part of the Soviet Union.

He enlisted in the Russian army a decade ago with the stated intention of "defending my homeland." However, he plans to retire upon his return, rather than rejoin the conflict. "I've done my bit," he stated.

For many, however, there will be no choice in the matter.

Next to Sergei, stacking plastic branches, is a drug dealer who, like many others, signed up "exclusively" to evade a lengthy prison sentence.

"For me, 15 years in prison was too much," Konstantin explained. "I know it probably doesn't excuse me, but it's a fact. I'm 44 now, I would be 60. So no."

However, *Vshniki*, or convict-soldiers, must survive until the war's conclusion to secure their release, and the chances in assault troops are not favorable.

Three convicted murderers revealed that they had anticipated freedom after a year of fighting, only to find their contracts automatically renewed.