In the exchange, which involved 230 Ukrainian defenders and 248 Russian invaders, it was revealed that 180 of the Russians were former prisoners.
Byt Ili managed to obtain a video from a bus carrying captured Russian soldiers prior to their departure to Russia on Jan. 3, 2024. The video was originally published by Shamsail Saralieyev, a member of the Russian State Duma, who was tasked with their return.
“Undoubtedly, he did not make the decision to mostly return convicts himself,” said Byt Ili.
“This policy is clearly devised in the Kremlin. But another interesting fact is how deputies, the Ministry of Defense, and others portray themselves during the exchange. How they, in their offices with American iMACs, meet the relatives of the prisoners. In the video, the families of mobilized and contract servicemen who fell into captivity are seen. Officials promise to bring home their ‘boys’ but instead take away 180 convicts.”
It has been suggested that the Russian authorities release former convicts because it is easier to keep them quiet.
“For the Kremlin, the image is crucial,” states the report.
“They need to convince the public that Moscow has once again pushed everyone around. The fact that they took convicts, while Russian officers have been in Ukrainian captivity for up to eight months, and no one takes them back – that’s just the way it is.”