Text and photo - Valerie Proschenko 

 

Russian servicemen captured during Ukraine's operation in Russia's Kursk region describe the conditions of their detention as very good, saying they are surprised by the absence of torture, which their commanders used to intimidate them with.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky said Tuesday that during the offensive in Kursk region Ukraine has managed to significantly replenish the exchange fund and the number of captured prisoners of war (POW) currently stands at 594. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent visited the detention facility through which most of the Russian POWs captured during the Kursk operation pass.

"More than 350 POWs have already passed through our facility since the beginning of the operation in Kursk region. They change every day, new ones are brought in, someone is taken away. That is, the figure is constantly changing. As of today, there are more than 70 people here. Yesterday, there were more than 100. So, these are the figures," says Volodymyr, the institution's deputy head for utility management.

The penal institution where the Russian POW are being held resembles more of a hostel than a prison. The cells are renovated and cleaned, and each prisoner has a separate bed. Moreover, each room has a large TV set. As the management of the institution notes, the state increased funding after the first captives from the Russian Federation arrived, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ukrainian Red Cross regularly visit and provide assistance here.

"Back in 2022, when the first POWs started arriving here, the Red Cross helped with finances, so we repaired the cells in the box thanks to this. The cells are thoroughly renovated, plumbing, electrics, new tiles have been replaced. There is also a separate bathroom," Volodymyr says.

According to him, after the military are captured, the seriously wounded are immediately sent to the facilities of the Health Ministry of Ukraine. They are left in hospitals, and only when their condition stabilizes and their lives are not threatened, they are transported to a detention facility.

"If the condition of the captives worsens, we take them back to the hospital," he added.

The words about good medical care were also confirmed by the POWs during the interview, expressing gratitude that doctors in Ukraine "do not divide into their own and strangers."

In addition, a medical officer could be seen in the corridor of the institution, making regular rounds of the cells. According to the prisoners themselves, the doctor visits them every day.

Both the management of the detention center and the Russians themselves note that in the first days the POWs are very frightened, because in Russia they are constantly told about the alleged cruelty of the Ukrainians and torture.

"The POWs who have just been brought in are very frightened, for the first two-three days they expect the cruelty and torture that their commanders told them about. Russian commanders assure them that in no case they should surrender to the Ukrainians, and it is better to blow themselves up. However, Russian POWs already after a few days realize that they are safe and nothing threatens them," the deputy head of the institution said, adding that, seeing the good treatment, the prisoners even start asking for something, such as cigarettes, which the Russians are sometimes also given, although it is not prescribed in the regulations.

It is also worth noting that newly arrived POWs are sent to the bath, given clean civilian clothes, mattress, pillow, sheet and pillowcase, hygiene kit, powder, soap, shampoo, and then assigned a cell. Conscripts are separated from the contract and mobilized fighters.

The visit to the facility fell at the time of the POWs having lunch, so I was able to see with my own eyes what the Russians are fed. The first thing that catches the eye is the large portions, which are not limited to one dish. In particular, there are first and second courses, there are also cups with drinks on the table. Lunch is set against the backdrop of the voice of the host of a national telethon, which can be watched in every cell.

"They are well fed here – in accordance with the norms, including meat, fish, borsсh, porridge and salads," the deputy head of the institution said. He also reported cases when food has to be thrown away "because the portions are very large and the prisoners do not have time to finish everything."

During the communication, the POWs confirmed that the conditions of their detention are good, with some even saying that "everything is perfect." Almost everyone said that they hoped for a speedy exchange and return home to Russia. The facility houses military personnel from "almost all Russian republics," and there are also residents of the occupied Ukrainian territories.

In particular, in one of the cells, a "contract fighter" Yevhen, who is originally from Luhansk region, but since 2014 he moved and has Russian citizenship, expressed his desire to talk. However, the staff of the facility said that Yevhen had probably been fighting since 2014 in the so-called "LPR" Ghost brigade. According to the captive, mines hit his house, "but it is unknown from which side". He also said that since then he moved with his family to Russia's Moscow region and signed a contract for service there in 2024, after which he was sent to Sevastopol in the 810th brigade of marines.

"We were also in Kherson region, then they transferred us to Kursk to strengthen the state border. We were told that everything was calm there, no hostilities. But we did not even have time to get settled there, as the offensive began. For three days we walked on the roadside woods and were captured on August 8," Yevhen said.

When asked about his motivation, he said that the key thing was the financial component, and that he "wanted it all to be over soon."

Yevhen, as well as three other captives confirmed that they were in Kursk region without equipment, so it was pointless to resist the trained Ukrainian forces "with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles." He admitted that on duty the military were given grenades to blow themselves up in case they were captured in Ukraine, because "there would be torture and cutting off organs."

"Nothing like that happened. They gave food, water, cigarettes before getting here. And everything is fine here in general. And food, and medicine. The workers fulfill almost all our requests," the captive said. When asked if he was aware of the conditions Ukrainian POWs in Russia, Yevhen said that probably "the same as yours", and YouTube shows many "fakes" about torture both in Ukraine and in Russia.

POWs in the cell also say that Russia assures that "this year, by the New Year, everything will be over," and also assures that it is impossible to refuse to fight, because prison will be waiting.

One of the POWs, named Vadim, who has a wife and five children in Murmansk, Russia, said that he "served half a day" and had no special desire to fight.

"I dug trenches and just got captured. Everything happened very quickly. When I was taken prisoner, I expected the worst. I thought I would go to hell, I heard a lot of bad things. But what I saw did not coincide at all. Even when we were taken prisoner, no one beat us, we were fed, given hot tea, a cigarette, and we sat all night talking to your military," he said, adding that his opinion of Ukrainians has changed dramatically.

Another prisoner, who hails from Kursk region, said he came home to pick up his mother and was captured by the AFU. According to him, he was discharged to the reserve for health reasons, because he was wounded in 2023.

"I was mobilized in the territory defense of Kursk, Belgorod, Bryansk, and as a result we were transferred to Luhansk by the whole echelon. I fought for three months, got wounded and was written off," he said.

Yaroslav, a 19-year-old "conscript" from the Republic of Mari El, said he was captured on August 6 when their positions came under mortar fire. "I hope for an exchange, and after that I will go to work, not to war anymore," he said, adding that he had previously studied to be an electric welder.

Another 22-year-old "conscript," Yevgeny, who hails from the Krasnodar Krai, said that when they were sent to the Kursk region, they were assured "that the situation there was calm, and nothing was even flying in."

"But it turned out to be quite different," he said, adding that he is an orphan but has an aunt who is his guardian.

"Today she was allegedly sent a message that I am in captivity," Yevgeny noted.

He also hopes that he will soon be able to return home, find a good job and then travel.

"In general, my relatives have a negative attitude towards the Special Military Operation [that is how Russia calls the full-scale war against Ukraine], but they don't get into politics," he added.

It is also interesting that the daily routine of a Russian POW is not burdensome, and almost all the time the Russians rest, in particular playing backgammon, reading or watching TV.

"We have not engaged them for work anywhere, because as a rule they are here for a short period of time (2-3 weeks). That's why they mostly rest. We provide them with at least one hour of outdoor exercise every day. Also once a week we organize a bath for them. POWs there hand in their clothes for washing and get fresh clothes," the deputy head of the institution said.

The POWs are not afraid to say that Ukraine's successful operation in the Kursk region is a "shortcoming of the Russian Defense Ministry."

"Otherwise, how else can you explain that they threw 18-year-old conscripts with no experience and no equipment to the border? And you can't go up against tanks with assault rifles in your hands," says one of the Russian conscripts.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russian operation in the Kursk region "is going exactly as expected," and expressed "gratitude to every unit that replenishes Ukraine's exchange fund with new Russian military prisoners," which "brings closer the release of Ukrainian military and civilians from Russian captivity." And soon after, on August 24, there was a large-scale exchange of prisoners 115 for 115, in which Ukraine, in particular, gave up conscripts captured in the Kursk region.