Russians trade Ukrainian POWs with representatives of Chechen groups – ISW

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said this in its latest report, according to Ukrinform.

“Russian forces are reportedly operating a ‘black market’ to sell Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), including to Russian paramilitary groups that may be conducting their own POW exchanges with Ukraine,” the report says. 

British outlet The Times, citing Ukrainian Spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs Petro Yatsenko and a Ukrainian POW, reported that Chechen paramilitary groups are buying Ukrainian POWs from other Russian military units on a black market for trafficking POWs. The Chechen units are reportedly then using the Ukrainian POWs in exchange for Chechen POWs held by Ukrainian forces. 

As noted, Chechen units are likely turning to the black market because Chechen units are currently largely acting in policing or logistics roles in rear areas of Ukraine where there are fewer opportunities to capture Ukrainian POWs and exchange them for Chechen POWs. 

Although there are no articles in the Geneva Convention that explicitly prohibit the POW trades, this practice is likely in violation of the clause that “no special agreement shall adversely affect the situation of prisoners of war.”

“Reports of Chechen units apparently conducting their own POW exchanges with Ukraine suggest that some paramilitary units within the Russian military, like the Chechen Akhmat Spetsnaz units, are likely not included in wider, higher-level Russian-Ukrainian POW exchanges,” the report says.  

As reported, the head of the PGO Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict, Yuriy Bielousov, said that law enforcement officers are investigating 19 criminal cases into the killings of 45 Ukrainian prisoners of war since the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion.