The situation of Ukrainian soldiers who are under Russian command is extremely concerning. Reports have begun to emerge since late 2022 indicating that Russian military units have been formed including Ukrainian prisoners of war and former soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These units were integrated in August 2026 under the name 'Ukrainian Volunteer Special Unit'.
Military Units and Efforts to Recruit Soldiers
Among the various units, the Maxim Kryvonis Battalion has attracted more public attention as it has clearly participated in the conflicts. The actual size of this unit is unclear, with Russian media reports stating the number of fighters to be around 200, while published images show only a few dozen.
A research team from Ukrainian public media has identified over 30 members of this unit and confirmed that all of them are former Ukrainian soldiers who were captured by Russian forces between 2023 and 2024.
Doubts About Voluntary Recruitment
Pavel Luzin, a foreign policy and defense expert at the European Policy Analysis Center, believes these units are a mimicry of the 'Russian Volunteer Corps' and the 'Russian Freedom Legion' and are an attempt by Moscow to divert attention from the existence of these units. Ukrainian intelligence services also agree with this view.
Yohin Shaybaliov, a writer and veteran of the Ukraine war, stated: 'It is hard for them to accept that Russians are fighting alongside Ukrainians, but Ukrainians do not fight alongside Russians.'
In 2025, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that 95 percent of released Ukrainian prisoners of war mentioned torture or mistreatment during their captivity.
Bill Wiley, executive director of the NGO International Justice and Accountability Commission, said that the physical and psychological condition of returning soldiers raises serious doubts about the voluntary nature of their recruitment. Mikhail Sava from the Center for Civil Rights referred to legal proceedings against several members of the battalion, stating that this indicates these fighters have changed sides voluntarily.
However, distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary recruitment is difficult. Maxim Butkovich, a veteran and human rights activist who spent 28 months as a prisoner of war in Russia, said that conditions in Russian captivity complicate this distinction. On one hand, he noted that there is always an atmosphere of pressure, and on the other hand, it is not impossible that some prisoners of war change sides due to ideological proximity.
He explained: 'They showed us that they could do anything to us, which is why we have to agree to everything.'
Shaybaliov also reported similar experiences, referring to efforts to extract confessions of war crimes or recruit members for Russian intelligence services. He said that all prisoners of war were initially interrogated and then pressured with specific offers.
Ovilinik, a member of the Maxim Kryvonis Battalion, stated that his comrades include individuals who have voluntarily changed sides and those who have been forced to do so under pressure.
In a video that appears to be related to a trial in Ukraine, he also mentions that former Ukrainian prisoners in this unit are under the supervision and protection of the Russian private military company, Redut. He also referred to beatings and torture, stating that his monthly salary was paid in envelopes distributed by a member of Russian military intelligence.
Ovilinik told reporters that he was given a phone, but he refrained from contacting anyone in Ukraine for fear of being under constant surveillance. He also denied fighting against Ukrainians, as he fled in March 2025 before his first deployment to the Donetsk region.
Now, Ovilinik has been in detention in Ukraine for nearly two years while authorities investigate the possibility of treason against him, and he has not yet been formally charged.
