Russian state media reports have alleged that a unit of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) was sent by Russia to fight against their own countrymen. According to the Institute for the Study of War think tank, these Ukrainian POWs were said to have engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops near Urozhaine in eastern Ukraine.

The reports, which emerged in November, claimed that around 70 Ukrainian POWs were recruited from Russian penal colonies and formed into a fighting unit. They were allegedly trained and subsequently sent back to participate in frontline operations in the Donetsk region.

Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti released footage during that time, purporting to show Ukrainian POWs taking an oath to fight for Russia. However, Ukrainian intelligence officials have disputed these claims, denouncing them as part of a disinformation campaign by Russian forces.

Andriy Yusov, representative of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, spoke out against the Russian reports, referring to them as another "IPSO [information and psychological operation] of the occupiers" and criticizing them as a "public war crime of the Russian invaders."

The alleged unit of POWs has been purportedly named the Bogdan Khmelnitsky battalion, named after a 15th-century Cossack warlord who brought certain territories of what is now Ukraine under Moscow's control.

The use of POWs in military activities by the captor power is strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, which Russia claims to uphold. The Institute for the Study of War noted this violation, highlighting that Russia has been accused in the past of disregarding POW treatment regulations. The United Nations has previously raised concerns about the alleged torture and abuse of Ukrainian captives in Russian custody.

Disturbingly, recent reports suggest that Russian troops have even used Ukrainian POWs as human shields during combat operations.

The situation surrounding the alleged use of Ukrainian POWs to fight against their own countrymen remains contentious, with conflicting narratives from Russian and Ukrainian sources. As tensions persist in Ukraine's eastern regions, questions about the treatment and exploitation of prisoners of war continue to arise, drawing international attention to the ongoing conflict.