Russian media are covering the issue of prisoners of war (POWs) in order to affect the morale of soldiers serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). One of the ways to undermine the Ukrainians’ desire to continue the war is through stories about Ukrainian soldiers who were released from captivity and decided to stay in Russia and start a new life.
In February, Ukraine enters its fourth year of the war against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s gamble to advance into Russia’s Kursk region did not achieve the expected result, with the AFU gradually retreating, pushed out by Russian troops.
Moreover, the Russian army, taking advantage of the regrouping of Ukrainian formations, intensified its offensive in Ukraine’s Donetsk region and developed an offensive on Pokrovsk, Toretsk and other key defence positions of the AFU.
As a result of the active offensive by Russian troops, the number of POWs is steadily increasing, along with the exchange fund. Russian media are interviewing AFU POWs who have moved to Russia to show the new lifestyle of Ukrainian soldiers who have given up fighting and to undermine the morale of Ukrainian troops.
Such videos can affect the AFU soldiers, who are tired of the almost three-year war. Frustrated by the acute shortage of manpower, military equipment and ammunition, they surrender more and more often during the Russian offensive. Some of them become Russian citizens and some return to Ukraine under the POW exchange programme.
On 15 January, Ukraine exchanged 25 Russian POWs for 25 Ukrainian soldiers, and last December the two countries exchanged 150 POWs on each side, mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Russian media use stories of Ukrainian POWs to target the morale of AFU soldiers and those planning to join the Ukrainian Army. Some soldiers also face public condemnation upon their return to Ukraine, whereas Russians are ready to welcome new citizens who have renounced fighting.
THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.
Thalia Gross for Head-Post.com
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