Russian Forces Form Ukrainian POW Brigade in Violation of Geneva Convention, ISW Says
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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on August 6 that Russian forces have formed the first 'Ukrainian volunteer special forces brigade' from Ukrainian prisoners of war, likely breaching the Geneva Convention. The brigade was created by merging several irregular battalions, including units named after Ukrainian historical figures, under the Russian Defense Ministry's volunteer corps. The development marks the first documented use of Ukrainian POWs in combat formations since December 2023.
Brigade Origins
According to ISW, the so-called volunteer corps of the Russian Defense Ministry announced the formation of the 'first Ukrainian volunteer special forces brigade,' claiming the soldiers had voluntarily switched sides. The unit was assembled by combining the Maksym Kryvonos and Oleksiy Berest battalions with the Alexander Matrosov and Martin Pushkar detachments. ISW first documented Russian forces creating combat units from Ukrainian POWs in November 2022. The most recent prior instance was the 'Bohdan Khmelnytskyi' battalion, which operated within the DNR interior ministry's 'Kaskad' formation in western Donbas in December 2023.
Legal Violations
The Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War explicitly prohibits compelling POWs to serve in the military of the detaining power and bars their deployment in combat zones. It also forbids assigning them to work of a dangerous or harmful nature. ISW assessed the brigade's formation as a likely direct violation of these provisions. Russia has not publicly addressed the report or the legal implications of using Ukrainian POWs in its forces.
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