‘I want to make up for mistakes’: The Russian POWs fighting for Ukraine
Al Jazeera
Russian prisoners of war have been recruited to fight for anti-Kremlin militias that say they are aiding Ukraine’s war effort.
Vlad, a Russian soldier, was heading from Ukraine back to Russia for a prisoner swap by bus last year when a tall dark-haired man entered the vehicle.
The man said he was the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and offered the passengers a chance to join his unit of Russians fighting in and for Ukraine against their homeland.
Vlad, 27, raised his hand. He was the only Russian hostage on the bus to do so, joining a group of fighters who had switched sides.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, an RVC spokesperson refused to say how many Russian soldiers have turned coats, but claimed that recruiting Russian prisoners of war (POWs) has boosted their ranks.
Officially created in August 2022 under the command of Ukraine’s military intelligence, RVC is one of the three all-Russian units fighting on Kyiv’s side.
