What are conditions under which Ukraine holds captive Russian conscripts?

The Washington Post reports.

As noted in the publication, most of the prisoners are young conscripts who were captured during the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk last week. Some of the prisoners said that they had not been trained for combat, had no experience and did not have the appropriate weapons.

According to the information received by the journalists, the prisoners are provided with medical care, fed three times a day, and allowed to take a shower. 

Some prisoners even joked with Ukrainian guards. However, some soldiers admitted that they were very scared when they were first captured.

Washington Post journalists also spoke to the head of the prison, who said that over the past 10 days, more than 320 Russian soldiers have passed through the institution. Most of them are young conscripts, and only about 20% are contract soldiers or mobilised soldiers.

According to the Washington Post, the Ukrainian military captured the prisoners during an offensive in early August. Some of the prisoners said their commanders abandoned them without giving them any instructions after Ukraine attacked their military headquarters. They tried to hide in the forest but were eventually captured.

The journalists also noted that the prisoners are allowed to write letters home.

Earlier this week, family members of conscripts captured in Kursk submitted a petition to Putin, calling on him to provide information about their whereabouts and to exchange the soldiers as soon as possible.

• During the operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, about 2,000 Russian servicemen were captured.