Inside Ukraine's Secret Prison Russian POWs Captured in Kursk Pose a Challenge to Kremlin

On August 16, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense allowed a select group of journalists, including a Washington Post team, to visit a prison housing Russian soldiers, under strict conditions of confidentiality regarding the facility's location. Ukrainian prison guards were present during the interviews but did not interfere or review the material before publication, according to The Washington Post’s publication.

When Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine, he promised that conscripts would not be sent into combat. However, as Moscow struggles to fend off Ukrainian advances, families of soldiers are sounding the alarm. Recent messages on Russian Telegram and other social media reveal that Moscow's military, unprepared for this war, has left poorly trained conscripts to defend the border with Ukraine.

During the visit, the detained Russian troops reported receiving proper medical care and regular meals. Their bandages were noted to be clean, and they were provided with three meals a day, including soup, salad, and porridge. The soldiers mentioned they were permitted showers and had not experienced mistreatment. Journalists observed some of the detainees engaging in light-hearted interactions with Ukrainian prison guards. Red Cross officials were also present in the prison at the same time, meeting with the detainees.

The head of the prison, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the facility’s location, disclosed that 320 Russian soldiers have passed through the prison in the past 10 days on their way to other camps in Ukraine.

Prisoners Nikolai and Sergey, both 19, described their experience following an August 6 attack on their military base by Ukrainian forces. They recounted being abandoned by their commanders and walking for three days through a forest before being captured by Ukrainian soldiers, who provided them with food, water, and cigarettes.

Kirill, 20, recounted how he missed evacuation orders due to his radio being turned off during the Ukrainian incursion. “At first, I was scared, I was very much surprised. Then they told me, ‘Surrender and you will live,’” he recalled. He surrendered immediately, and they tied his hands and covered his eyes, then put him in an armored vehicle and drove away. When they stopped driving, a Ukrainian soldier offered to let him call his mom, who works at a grocery store in Russia,” the publication noted.

The families of conscripts captured in Kursk recently launched a petition addressed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, urging the expedited exchange of the soldiers. The petition also criticized Chechnya’s Akhmat special forces for allegedly abandoning inexperienced soldiers who had not completed their mandatory training.

“The capture of so many unprepared young men poses a significant challenge for the Kremlin,” The Washington Post wrote. “It also serves as a test case for Ukraine on how to handle such a large number of Russian POWs who could be seen as especially valuable bargaining chips in future negotiations or exchanges.”

“As of this morning, there has been an increase in the exchange fund for our country,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address on August 17. “Thank you to all the soldiers and commanders who are taking Russian troops prisoner, bringing us closer to the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia.”