Moscow claims former Ukrainian prisoners are fighting under Russian command voluntarily, but veterans and former POWs share different accounts
🤖 AI-generated content — The title and summary were produced automatically by artificial intelligence, without human editorial review.
Russia has formed a battalion of Ukrainian "volunteers," including former service members like 25-year-old former senior lieutenant Pavlo Oliynyk, who says he joined to escape torture in Russian captivity and reach the front lines to flee to Ukrainian territory. Reports of such units began in late 2022 and were merged in August 2026 into the Ukrainian Volunteer Special Forces Brigade, with the Maksym Kryvonis battalion drawing the most attention; Russian media claim it has about 200 fighters, while footage shows several dozen, and Suspilne investigators have confirmed over 30 members.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔Source: DW News · via ahirlevel.hu