FACT CHECK: Dubious Russian Claims About Ukrainian POWs

On April 16, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that many Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the city of Mariupol as of April 13.

“1,464 Ukrainian servicemen laid down their arms and surrendered. They are not subjected to violence or psychological pressure,” the ministry claimed.

Ukraine contests the claim, which is only supported by sketchy video evidence. Meantime, former Ukrainian POWs say they were mistreated and beaten while in Russian captivity.

The Russian ministry said 1,209 of the POWs who purportedly surrendered in Mariupol were from Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade. The group included 162 officers who surrendered sometime between April 12-13, Reuters reported.

One of the first videos showing these POWs was posted April 12 by Alexander Sladkov, a war reporter for Russia’s state-owned Channel 1 television. The video is dark and seems to be shot at night, so it is impossible to count the exact number of POWs in it, but they appear to number about 100 at most. In the video, Sladkov asks the officers among the Ukrainian POWs to raise their hands. Only four hands go up.

On April 13, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), the self-declared Russia-backed separatist government in the province, said in a video posted on Telegram that Russian forces had halted the 36th Marine Brigade’s attempt to break through a blockade of Mariupol.

The video claimed that most of the Ukrainian marines were killed, while 42 others surrendered, and the remaining troops retreated. It claimed to show Ukrainian marines surrendering to the Russians.

“There is still no evidence of the 1,000 POWs, and this video shows the same 42 from the old videos” the Conflict Zone monitoring channel reported in reviewing the DNR’s claims on Telegram. Conflict Zone, one of the most cited Telegram media outlets outside of Russia, aggregates data and news published worldwide and translates it into Russian.

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[OakInch]

This is about as sad and stupid as fake news gets.

[johnathonmullis]

It’s a damn shame that Russia felt the need to attack the Ukraine. War is awful and bad stuff always happens. However it’s important to not mistreat pow’s. The U.S. liberators of Dachau executed most of the guards except for the ones the former pow’s killed by beating them to death with shovels, rakes, and stones. That’s not an isolated incident either but it was recorded for posterity whereas the others typically weren’t. Soldiers should always keep that in mind even if they’re not worried about charges for war crimes

[SILSAL]

I don't understand why anyone at anytime thinks Russia is going to honor the rules of engagement or rules of retaining POWs!!!! That just doesn't happen!!!

[chesterrhymes]

Who would believe russia, would you believe the aggresor

[jean]

I cannot believe taxpayers money is used to promote lies like this.

[ukusankruh]

MOŽDA VLADIMIR NE POMAŽE RUSIJI,
MOŽDA POMAŽE SVOM STRAHU.

[ovwieobie]

Very funny fact check. What you have is ukraine disclaiming russia claim. Lol

[maurpine]

persuade the comic president to capitulate!

[logiclust]

too bad "war crimes" is meaningless

[tobyrock]

Fact Check is a BUZZ word for Propaganda

[theogriengl]

Російська армія створила культуру, що характеризується частими і повторюваними військовими злочинами: вбивством і згвалтуванням ні в чому не винних цивільних осіб, вбивствами і знущаннями над військовополоненими і полоненими, руйнуванням цивільної інфраструктури, нападами на цивільні об'єкти, такі як Краматорський . Такі дії варварські, вони здаються швидше за правилом, ніж винятком. В епоху всюдисущих смартфонів, супутникових знімків та соціальних мереж незліченні подвиги російських військових дуже чітко задокументовані, і їх не можна заперечувати чи заперечувати. Навіть якщо російська пропаганда говорить про протилежне!! Ці атаки російських солдатів теж дуже і дуже дурні. Ці дії розпалюють ненависть українців до росіян та сприяють поширенню сильного українського націоналізму та антиросійської ворожості в Україні по всьому світу.

[nidyasas]

ukrena became a victim of the ambitions of nato and USA policies, only the destruction and suffering experienced by the ukrean people where the president was jokingly sacrificing his people

[Jahzwolf]

This is like a mirror image of the Iraq 🇮🇶 war water boarding in guantomino

[demonprinces]

Lots of Biden democrats who support Putin here