At least 20 Russian soldiers previously sent home in POW exchanges have surrendered again to Ukrainian forces — this time for the second time.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on July 29 that at least 20 Russian soldiers who had already been returned home once in prior prisoner exchanges have since surrendered again to Ukraine's Defense Forces — their second time in captivity this war. Volunteers Support Ukraine sees the story as a telling confirmation that humane treatment of prisoners isn't a slogan here, but daily practice, and one that even soldiers on the other side of the front have come to notice.
According to the headquarters, some of these men were sent straight back to front-line duty right after being exchanged, instead of the demobilization or rear-area postings often promised to returnees. Facing encirclement or renewed assault, many chose to surrender a second time, because by then they already knew what to expect: detention under the Geneva Conventions, not the horror stories their own propaganda had fed them. Increasingly, it's drones with loudspeakers or unmanned ground vehicles that walk soldiers through that second surrender.
Conditions in Ukrainian captivity follow an organized system with food, medical care and contact through the Red Cross, not arbitrary treatment. For Volunteers Support Ukraine, it's a reminder that following the rules, even toward an enemy, is exactly what sets the Ukrainian side apart, and that the difference is visible even from across the front line.
Repeat surrenders aren't isolated incidents. This past winter alone, various units reported dozens of similar episodes, where a soldier's own experience of prior captivity turned out to be the deciding factor. For exhausted, poorly equipped infantry, it's one more sign that the fight in front of them isn't worth finishing. Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps following stories like this as part of the broader picture of how the front line is actually holding.
Stories like this are one more reminder of why steady, transparent support for people affected by the war still matters day to day. Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps helping people touched by the war, in whatever way its available resources allow.
