Russia's prisoner exchanges: A cycle of front lines and penalties
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war 63 times to date. Returning Russians often encounter a different fate rather than finishing their service, laying down their arms, and ending their contracts with the Ministry of Defence. They are detained in a secured facility near Moscow, interrogated by the FSB, and then sent back to the front or to penal colonies.
What do you need to know?
- Roman Ivanishyn, a junior sergeant, was sentenced by a military court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to 15 years in a penal colony for voluntarily surrendering to Ukrainian forces. This verdict is unprecedented in Russia since new criminal regulations on desertion and surrender were introduced.
- This is not an isolated incident. Returning Russians face difficulties and sometimes end up in the Mosrientgien camp near Moscow.
- Some return to the front. Russia does not possess a unit capable of providing transparent statistics on the participants of the war and their fates.
Why was Roman Ivanishyn sentenced?
Roman Ivanishyn, a miner from the Sakhalin region, was conscripted into the army and fought in Ukraine as part of the 39th Independent Motorised Rifle Brigade. In June 2023, he was captured by Ukrainian forces near Volnovakha. In a video released by the Ukrainians, Ivanishyn expressed his opposition to the war and urged other Russian soldiers to leave their units.
How did the court proceedings go?
Upon returning to Russia in January 2024, Ivanishyn was investigated. Initially, the court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk refused to consider the case, transferring the files to Moscow, which were then returned to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The trial commenced on 17th March 2025, behind closed doors. The prosecution demanded a 16-year sentence, while the defence sought acquittal, emphasising Ivanishyn's health issues.
What does this verdict mean for other soldiers?
The sentencing of Ivanishyn is the first of its kind in Russia since new criminal regulations were introduced in 2022. Vladimir Putin signed an amendment to the criminal code at that time, providing for up to 10 years in prison for desertion and surrender. This verdict may set a precedent for similar future cases.
What are the fates of participants in the war in Ukraine?
According to belsat.eu, troubles befall not only those soldiers who no longer wish to fight. Those who were captured and returned to the country as part of an exchange also face difficulties. Returning from the front to Russia, they are initially transported to a military unit in the village of Mosrientgien near Moscow - unit 61899, a facility with specific operational rules, from which they are not allowed to leave. Former prisoners are interrogated by counterintelligence officers.
In Russia, being a prisoner of war does not count towards service time, nor is it a reason to transition to civilian life. After a fortnight to three weeks of interrogations, when FSB officers are confident that the Ukrainians have not recruited the captured Russians, soldiers return to the military units they were previously assigned to, if those units are still active on the front. Commanders determine whether to grant them short-term leave, no longer than a fortnight. Few have the opportunity to return home.
