Russia POWs Don’t Return Home as Heroes

A decision on the battlefield that once meant survival is now becoming a different kind of punishment for many Russian soldiers. According to The Wall Street Journal, Russian troops who return home after being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine are frequently met not with relief or recognition, but with suspicion, interrogation by the FSB, and, in many cases, redeployment straight back to the front lines.

One middle-aged soldier called his family after surviving captivity, saying he hoped to be home in time for his son’s birthday. Instead, he was detained for weeks of questioning and then sent back to fight near Donetsk. His family has since lost all contact and does not know whether he is alive.

Under a law passed in 2022, voluntary surrender is considered a criminal offense in Russia. One soldier, Roman Ivanishin, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after returning through a prisoner exchange, convicted on charges that included surrender and desertion. Other former POWs told the Journal that upon return they were stripped of their weapons and reassigned to menial duties such as cleaning or guard work. Some said commanders deliberately sent them on especially dangerous missions as punishment.

Financial consequences often follow as well. Soldiers listed as captured can lose salaries and bonuses that originally drew them into service, leaving families struggling to make ends meet.

This treatment appears to conflict with the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit sending former prisoners of war back into active combat. However, a Russian Defense Ministry document reviewed by the Journal argues that those protections do not fully apply because the conflict is still ongoing. As a result, some families now quietly hope their loved ones will not be included in prisoner exchanges and instead remain in Ukrainian custody.

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