Russia deloys battalion formed from captured Ukrainians to frontline - ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the information.

It noted that on December 28, Russian propaganda media reported that soldiers from the "Bogdan Khmelnitsky" battalion, formed of Ukrainian POWs and subordinated to the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Ministry of Internal Affairs "Kaskad" formation, took part in their first engagement against Ukrainian forces near Urozhaine, western Donetsk region.

"ISW continues to assess that the use of Ukrainian POWs in the 'Bogdan Khmelnitsky' battalion is likely a violation of The Geneva Convention on POWs, which prohibits the use of POWs in military activities on the side of the power that has captured them and states that 'no POW may at any time be sent to or detained in areas where he may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone' and shall not 'be employed on labor which is of an unhealthy or dangerous nature,;" the statement said.

• In November, ISW reported that the Russian military command was planning to send the 'Bogdan Khmelnitsky" battalion, consisting of Ukrainian prisoners of war, to the front in the near future.