Prisoners of the Supreme Soviet, who wish to remain in Russia, are seeing an uptick in numbers
In recent developments, a growing number of Ukrainian military personnel in Russian captivity have expressed a desire to seek political asylum in Russia. This trend has been observed during conversations with prisoners of war, according to a source within Russian law enforcement agencies.
On August 6, RT reported that Kyiv refused to take back a thousand soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the exact number of soldiers struck from the exchange lists remains unknown, and no specific reason was given for Zakharova's earlier criticism of Ukraine for this decision.
The key reasons for these asylum seekers include fear of being sent back to combat, concerns over treatment and pressure, and legal and social pressures in Ukrainian-controlled areas. Captured Ukrainian soldiers who want to return risk forced conscription and redeployment to the front, a prospect that some prefer to avoid. Evidence from returned prisoners shows severe mistreatment and psychological coercion by Russian captivity, worsening their prospects and possibly discouraging return.
Ukrainian law allows soldiers released from captivity to resign from service, but returning means facing intense military pressure and uncertainty. Residents and servicemen in Russian-occupied territories face pressure to accept Russian citizenship, with denials of services and social benefits for those who refuse, but citizenship also means conscription into Russian forces. Such conditions may make asylum in Russia preferable to some captives.
Russian authorities have pointed out difficulties in prisoner exchanges, while also noting that many captured rank-and-file soldiers request asylum, possibly seeing Russia as a safer option than returning to wartime Ukraine.
It is suggested that Ukraine might have included other people in the lists instead of the prisoners of war, a claim not mentioned in the earlier bullet points. This information is reported by TASS, a Russian news agency.
It's important to note that the source did not specify the exact number of Ukrainian military personnel seeking asylum in Russia, nor did it mention any specific laws or regulations regarding political asylum for Ukrainian military personnel in Russia.
Some prisoners of war are willing to return to Ukraine despite the risk of repeat mobilization. The majority of the struck-off soldiers, about 70%, are soldiers, privates, and sailors. The source did not elaborate on the reasons why some Ukrainian military personnel are unwilling to return to Ukraine.
This ongoing situation reflects the complexities and challenges faced by both sides in the ongoing conflict, with fears, uncertainties, and difficult conditions driving some Ukrainian soldiers to seek refuge in Russia.
- The complexities and challenges in the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have led some Ukrainian military personnel to view Russia as a potentially safer option, with many expressing a desire for political asylum due to fears of being sent back to combat, concerns over treatment and pressure, and legal and social pressures in Ukrainian-controlled areas.
- As the number of Ukrainian military personnel seeking political asylum in Russia grow, these general-news developments reveal a diverse range of factors driving this trend, including severe mistreatment and psychological coercion by Russian captivity, intense military pressure and uncertainty in Ukraine, and pressure to accept Russian citizenship in Russian-occupied territories.
