"Motivated by financial concerns, I have no intention of returning."
Title: The Heartbreaking Reality: Former POWs Forced Back to the Frontlines
In the sprawling saga of global conflicts, one part that often goes unnoticed is the shattering impact on the families of the soldiers. On June 9, a heartfelt plea surfaced in the "Mobilization" Telegram channel, echoing the despair of a Russian war prisoner's wife, Marina Frolova. Her husband, Alexei Frolov of the 752nd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, controversially exchanged for captive soldiers, had been held captive for over a year and was awaiting his turn for release. However, instead of being released and returning to his family, Marina fears he'd be sent back to the battlefield.
According to friends and families of exchanged soldiers, the soldiers themselves were reluctant to return to the fighting. Kirill Putintsev, a 23-year-old soldier hailing from Zabaykalsk city of Borzya, entered the military under duress, with a year remaining on his prison sentence for theft. He was captured just six weeks after signing on, vanishing without a trace. Kirill's family had to take desperate measures to find him, finally reaching out to Irina Krynina's "I Want to Find" project, an admirable initiative dedicated to locating missing soldiers.
Yana, Kirill's sister, recalls the agonizing waiting period, peppered with uncertainties. She received numbing videos of her brother being captured, only to have her pleas to the military command fall on deaf ears. It was only after Irina interviewed him that the Russian military acknowledged him as a POW.
Unfortunately, Kirill's ordeal was far from over. Following his exchange, he was sent back to the front without even a day's respite with his family. Subjected to FSB interrogation upon his return to Russia, he was subsequently dispatched back to Ukraine, despite his numerous injuries. This turn of events led Kirill to experience a mental breakdown, prompting him to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Donetsk.
In a special Telegram chat for families of captured soldiers, fellow family members share similar harrowing tales of their loved ones being sent back to the battlefield shortly after being exchanged. This stunning revelation has left many of these families torn, caught in a web of fear and uncertainty. Even Kirill, with his infectious spirit and burning desire to live, has expressed his preference for serving time in prison rather than being sent back to the war.
Like Yana, other wives and mothers of captured soldiers are speaking out, condemning the cruel cycle ofRelease -> Interrogation -> Redeployment. They pen passionate appeals to the ombudsman, the president, and other government officials, urging them to allow the prisoners to return home after their release, instead of sending them back to the frontlines.
It is worth noting that the Geneva Convention prohibits the use of prisoners of war in military service after their release. Despite this, there have been growing concerns over the treatment of prisoners of war on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Human rights activists fear that the opaque nature of detention conditions and the political use of prisoners in Russia might leave the door open for forced military service and other grave human rights abuses post-release.
Even as the world watches and waits for the resolution of the ongoing conflict, the tragic stories of these soldiers and their families serve as a sobering reminder of the human cost of war. As the sands of time slip through our fingers, the resilience and unwavering spirit of these families continue to shine, piercing the darkness of conflict and giving hope for a brighter tomorrow.
[1] Geneva Convention Article 117: "Prisoners of war are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect for their persons and their honor."[2] Human Rights Watch report: "Russian Prisons Reinforce Impunity."[3] Ukraine Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War: "Comprehensive Care for Released Prisoners of War."[4] Amnesty International report: "Russia: Escalating Repression in the North Caucasus."[5] Foreign Policy: "The Captured, the Exchanged, and the Forgotten: The Human Toll of the War in Ukraine."
- In the midst of general news, there have been concerning reports about former prisoners of war being forced back into war-and-conflicts, ignoring the Geneva Convention which prohibits this practice.
- The politics surrounding war-and-conflicts has led to a shocking phenomenon where crime-and-justice intersects, as families of released prisoners of war are left to struggle for their loved ones' general-news rights, like the prohibition against forced military service.
