Russia Ukraine war, page-215197

‘I want to make up for mistakes’: The Russian POWs fighting for Ukraine

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  Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska

Vlad, a Russian soldier, was on a bus heading home from Ukraine for a prisoner swap last year when a tall, dark-haired man entered the vehicle.

The man said he was the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and offered the passengers a chance to join his unit of Russians fighting in and for Ukraine against their homeland.

Vlad, 27, raised his hand. He was the only Russian hostage on the bus to do so, joining a group of fighters who had switched sides.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, an RVC spokesperson refused to say how many Russian soldiers have turned coats, but claimed that recruiting Russian prisoners of war (POWs) has boosted their ranks.

Officially created in August 2022 under the command of Ukraine’s military intelligence, RVC is one of the three all-Russian units fighting on Kyiv’s side.