One of the returned Ukrainian serviceman from today is accused by other prisoners of renouncing Ukrainian citizenship, torturing fellow POWs for Russia, and requested Russian citizenship.

5 comments

1. [Hromadske has an article now](https://hromadske.ua/viyna/227971-pid-chas-obminu-v-ukrayinu-povernuvsia-viyskovyy-shcho-mih-spivpratsiuvty-z-rosiianamy-u-poloni-bryhada-pereviriaye-tse)

   **During the exchange, a soldier who might have cooperated with the Russians while in captivity returned to Ukraine. The brigade is investigating this.**

   Anett Abramova, Justina Lisova, Irina Dudko

   During the exchange, a soldier who might have cooperated with the Russians while in captivity returned to Ukraine. The brigade is investigating this.

   Former captive and participant in the airlift to Mariupol, Viktor ‘Leleka’ Lakhno, stated that on July 17, a soldier was exchanged who allegedly collaborated with the Russians in the colony where Ukrainians were held. The 35th Separate Marine Brigade responded to this.

   Lakhno wrote about this on Instagram.

   According to him, the soldier allegedly participated in the beating of the ‘Azov’ brigade soldiers, cooperated with the colony administration where the prisoners were held, and also refused to return to Ukraine during the exchange and wanted to obtain Russian citizenship.

   ‘Leleka’ said that the freed prisoner allegedly worked for the disciplinary cell, a place where mostly ‘Azov’ members were held and tortured. According to Lakhno, this man is from the Kherson region. During captivity, he supposedly befriended a worker from the Olenivka disciplinary cell nicknamed ‘Kortik,’ whom Viktor called ‘a torturer who tortured many of our guys.’

   ‘He (the Ukrainian soldier – ed.) betrayed many, and many suffered because of this,’ said ‘Leleka.’

   After that, he shared in his Instagram stories testimonies from other people who also confirmed the soldier’s cooperation with the administration of Russian places of detention for Ukrainian prisoners of war. In addition, according to Lakhno’s acquaintances, another man was exchanged, who is also accused of beating Ukrainian prisoners along with Russian guards.

   Later, Lakhno wrote that Russia might have deliberately included two soldiers in the exchange to ‘provoke various types of information operations.’ For this purpose, they could use arguments about condemning the prisoner of war after the exchange.

   The 35th Separate Marine Brigade responded and assured that the information about the soldier is currently being thoroughly checked. However, they did not specify which of the two soldiers is being referred to.

   ‘If the facts presented in the media are confirmed, appropriate decisions will be made within the framework of the current legislation,’ they assured.

   Hromadske contacted the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War for comment. They said that they do not have the function of an investigative body. All questions regarding which people are returned from captivity were urged to be directed to the Security Service.

   **More about the exchange**

   On July 17, Ukraine and Russia conducted another exchange of prisoners of war, during which 95 Ukrainian soldiers were returned.

   Among the returned are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards. According to Zelensky, the United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator in the exchange.

   The Coordination Headquarters reported that among those released, 23 people defended Mariupol (13 of them were defenders of “Azovstal”). Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, this exchange has been the 54th. In total, 3,405 people have been returned from Russian captivity.

2. I think it’s good to investigate, but why would you post a picture before there was a legal sentence?

3. I was wondering when this would happen

4. Time (and an honest investigation) will tell.

   Slava Ukraini!

5. It sounds like the Ukrainians are going to handle this professionally and properly investigate.

   I would not be surprised if the Russians flip some prisoners, and then betray them, send them back as a unique form of treachery.