It is over four years since three Ukrainian military men were taken prisoner in the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DPR], with two of the men seized during one of the battles which Russia deployed significant forces to win. It is clear that Moscow plays a major role in any exchanges of prisoners in occupied Donbas, and the fact that the three men were not included in the last exchange in December 2017 suggests that their military status is seen as raising their ‘value’. Whether this is for particularly hard bargaining or for a separate high-profile release as part of Russia’s efforts to influence the parliamentary elections this autumn remains to be seen.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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Halya Coynash: Russia still holds Ukrainian POWs seized after Debaltseve
A Ukrainian soldier mans a checkpoint in the eastern city of Debaltseve on August 6, 2014.
