Russian Soldier From Mongolia-Bordering Tuva Captured in Ukraine Pleads Against Exchange

A Russian serviceman from Tuva, a remote southern Siberian republic bordering Mongolia, has asked Ukrainian forces not to include him in a future prisoner exchange, saying he fears being sent back to the front if returned to Russia.

Ukraine’s 80th Separate Air Assault Galician Brigade said on August 9 that the serviceman, identified as Andzhigash, was captured by its soldiers in the Donetsk region. The brigade released footage of the prisoner and described how he entered Russian military service.

Tuva lies along Russia’s border with Mongolia and is home predominantly to ethnic Tuvans, a Turkic people with their own language and cultural traditions. Russian is widely used in official life, while Tuvan remains an important part of the region’s identity.

According to the brigade, Andzhigash speaks limited Russian. After being captured, he said he did not consider himself Russian and referred instead to his Tuvan roots.

The 80th Brigade said he initially joined the Russian military for financial reasons but fled from the front on his third day there. He was later imprisoned and, according to the Ukrainian unit, was beaten and forced to sign another military contract.

He was subsequently sent to the village of Komar in the Donetsk region, where he remained at a frontline position for several months.

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

"Russians Sent Us Here to Die": Colombian POWs Reveal Why They Chose to Surrender in Ukraine

Jul 31, 2026 16:02

The brigade said he eventually left the position after food and water supplies ran out and was captured by Ukrainian troops while searching for provisions.

After his capture, Andzhigash asked not to be included in a prisoner exchange, saying he feared Russian authorities would send him back into combat if he returned.

Russia has drawn significant numbers of servicemen from remote regions across Siberia and the Far East during its war against Ukraine, including areas with large ethnic minority populations and lower average incomes.

Ukraine has previously reported similar cases involving foreign nationals serving with Russian forces. In April, Ukrainian paratroopers rescued a 41-year-old Peruvian citizen who said he had been lured to Moscow with a job offer, stripped of his documents, and forced to sign a Russian military contract before being sent to the front.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense