The ISW, quoting "sources aligned with the Kremlin," highlights that these Ukrainian POWs, part of the so-called Bohdan Khmelnytsky battalion, are allegedly being coerced into pledging allegiance to Russia and are slated for deployment to combat zones in Ukraine.
The unit has reportedly been integrated into the Cascade formation, operating within the Donetsk People's Republic, an area at the forefront of the conflict near the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions.
The ISW also notes previous Russian state media reports that claim up to 70 Ukrainian prisoners of war were "recruited" by Russian forces to serve in this battalion.
The Geneva Convention explicitly forbids the involvement of POWs in military hostilities by the capturing state, highlighting the severity of the breach if these reports are accurate.
(jh)
Source: PAP