Russians trade Ukrainian prisoners on the black market - ISW

The agency refers to information from the British publication The Times, according to which the Ukrainian representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Petro Yatsenko, said that Chechen paramilitary groups buy Ukrainian prisoners of war from other Russian military units on the “black market” for further trade. Later they use Ukrainian prisoners to exchange for Chechen prisoners held by the Armed Forces.

The Times said the units were likely turning to the "black market" as the Chechens now primarily perform police or logistical roles in Ukraine’s rear areas, where there is less opportunity to capture UAF prisoners of war and exchange them for Chechens.

The publication notes that although the Geneva Convention does not contain articles expressly prohibiting the trade in prisoners of war, this practice likely violates the provision that “no special agreement should adversely affect the situation of prisoners of war.”

“Reports that Chechen units are apparently conducting their own prisoner exchanges with Ukraine suggest that some paramilitary units of the Russian army, such as the Chechen Akhmat special forces, are likely not participating in broader Russian-Ukrainian high-level prisoner exchanges.” "Russian military bloggers have repeatedly criticized Chechen forces for their incompetence and lack of involvement in Ukraine, and after participating in major Russian offensive operations in 2022, Chechen forces were withdrawn to rear areas or less active areas of the front," the ISW report said.