Some are injured, most are very young, and all want to return home: the Russian soldiers captured during the surprise Ukrainian attack in Kursk now hope for a prisoner exchange.
Agence France-Presse managed to speak briefly with several of these prisoners of war at their detention site in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, under the supervision of Ukrainian officers.
Sitting on his bunk, a 22-year-old conscript in plaid pants recalls the moment he was captured during one of Ukraine’s major operations since the start of the war in 2022. “Everything was normal, everything was going well. And then, unexpectedly, everything collapsed,” he recounted, explaining that the commanders “just abandoned” him and his comrades when the Ukrainians crossed the border.
“It was unexpected,” the young man, who had completed 10 months of his service, repeats, noting that he now hopes for “an exchange” to return home and see his family again.
Unlike reservists and contracted soldiers, conscripts are not sent to fight in Ukraine but serve their mandatory one-year service on Russian soil. They are often young men without real military experience.
Another detainee, a 42-year-old border guard with a bandaged leg, recounts being captured on the first day of the Ukrainian operation.
“We were surrounded, there was no chance of breaking through the encirclement. So we decided to surrender,” he said, adding that he too hopes for an exchange. “Of course, that’s what I hope for, above all.”
Volodymyr, the deputy head of the camp where the prisoners are held, expresses satisfaction with the “very large number” of Russians captured in the unprecedented Ukrainian attack. He said that initially, the prisoners “were afraid of everything” and expected mistreatment. Eventually, “they came back to life,” and their psychological condition “stabilized.”
“On the battlefield, they are hated (by Ukrainians) soldiers, but when captured, they become ordinary people,” he continued.
Kyiv reports that many hundreds of Russian soldiers have surrendered but does not reveal their exact number. Recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he hopes they will soon be exchanged with Ukrainian prisoners in Russia. A source from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reported last week that 102 Russian soldiers were captured in a single day.
Meanwhile, the Russian military posts videos on social media supposedly showing Ukrainian soldiers surrendering in the Kursk area.
Last June, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow holds approximately 6,500 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The two sides have conducted several prisoner exchanges over the past two years. Kyiv assures that talks with Moscow are already underway for a new exchange. Ukrainian human rights mediator Dmytro Lubinets said he is in contact with his Russian counterpart, Tatiana Moskalkova, on this matter.
“There have been talks, initiated by my Russian counterpart,” he said, emphasizing that “this situation has at least forced the Russian side to take initiative.”
