A captured Ukrainian soldier said he wants to stay in Russia and fight for the Russian military
Ukrainian prisoner of war Oleksandr Karin stated that he does not want to return to Ukraine and allegedly plans to sign a contract with the Russian army.
A video featuring the man was circulated by Russian propaganda outlets. Karin claims he was captured in April in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. According to him, he is the only one in the group of prisoners who refused to be exchanged.
“I don’t want to go back—what’s the point? They’ll brainwash me there and force me to fight against Russia again. But I don’t want that; I want to stay here,” he said.
At the same time, the village head of Komarivka in Khmelnytskyi Oblast—where Karin allegedly comes from—denied this information. According to him, the man was not born in the village, and his parents moved to Ukraine from Russia.
At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that the prisoner of war’s statements may have been made under duress or exploited by Russian propaganda.
Vladimir Putin likely decided to further escalate the war after several weeks of deliberation this summer. According to The Economist, the Russian dictator may be seeking to preserve his power and his life through this escalation.
As a reminder, on the afternoon of August 30, Russian troops attacked Kyiv with strike drones. Explosions were heard in the capital, and air defense forces engaged enemy targets.
