Russia plans to recruit 126,000 prisoners and debtors in 2025 to replace war losses, targeting 10,000 'special contingent' soldiers monthly amid intensified fighting in Ukraine.
Russian forces increasingly shoot and share their execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war videos, with confirmed cases more than doubling in 2024 amid international inaction.
International law prevents Ukraine from exchanging civilians for military prisoners, leaving thousands of detained Ukrainian civilians, including journalists and women, trapped in Russian prisons with limited options for release.
The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Despite approximately 3,600 POWs and deported citizens being exchanged and returned, thousands still remain unaccounted for, with fears that the true death toll could be significantly higher due to the lack of international oversight.
This tactic aims to enforce compliance with Russian rule by leveraging the most vulnerable, prompting calls from the National Resistance Center for international condemnation and intervention.