Russia starves most Ukrainian POWs, then "fattens" a few for exchange so they look normal, Ukrainian official says
Ukraine's intelligence has confirmed that Russia keeps special cells where select Ukrainian POWs are deliberately fed up before exchanges while most prisoners are left starving, and that Russia is also forming military battalions from Ukrainian POWs.
Two disturbing findings
Ukraine's intelligence service has confirmed troubling details about how Russia treats Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to a Ukrainian official. Most POWs held by Russia reportedly go without adequate food and are left in a state of starvation.
At the same time, Russian authorities maintain separate cells where a select number of prisoners are deliberately fed up before being handed over in exchanges. The apparent purpose is to make these individuals appear healthier and more "normal" at the moment of exchange, rather than showing visible signs of starvation that could point to mistreatment in captivity.
Battalions formed from POWs
Ukraine's intelligence also confirmed that Russia is forming military battalions composed of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The source information does not provide further detail on how these units are used or where they are deployed.
Context
The information comes from a Ukrainian official citing confirmed intelligence findings. The source text does not specify the number of prisoners affected, the locations of the cells involved, or individual cases. Taken together, the two findings point to a deliberate approach by Russia both to managing prisoners' appearance ahead of exchange procedures and to incorporating POWs into its own military structures.
