More than 10,000 Russian soldiers are already captive in Ukraine: the share of foreign mercenaries is growing

This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

According to the headquarters, more Russian servicemen have been captured in the incomplete year 2025 alone than in 2022 and 2023 together. On average, 60 to 90 Russian soldiers surrendered each week, and in August 2024, the figure was as high as 350 per week. At the same time, since June 2023, Russian soldiers have been captured more often than Ukrainian soldiers have been captured by the Russian military.

The largest number of captives were taken in the Pokrovsky and Bakhmut districts of Donetsk region, Kursk region of the Russian Federation, as well as in the Polohovsky district of Zaporizhzhya region.

The Coordination Headquarters also noted that the number of foreign mercenaries among the captives increased significantly in 2025. Every week 2 people turn out to be citizens of third countries. In total, almost 7 per cent of all Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine - mdash; are foreigners from 40 countries.

According to the headquarters, 24% of the POWs reported coercion or deception during their recruitment to the war. Another 40 per cent have criminal records, including for theft, drug-related offences, robbery, robbery, grievous bodily harm and murder.

In addition, only 7 per cent of the POWs had higher education, while 30 per cent had not even finished school. By the start of the war, 38 per cent of them were unemployed.

The headquarters also reported that hundreds of Russian military personnel were captured with severe chronic diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes and mental disorders.

Just over 6,000 POWs have been returned to Russia as part of exchanges for Ukrainian defenders, more than half of them in 2025. At least 237 former Russian POWs are known to have died or gone missing after the exchange, being re-deployed to the front. Another four Russian soldiers are now in captivity for the second time.

The Coordination Headquarters emphasises that this is the fourth year that Russia has refused an all-for-all exchange.

Russia primarily takes out of captivity ethnic Russians without serious injuries and with a short period of time in captivity. Russia does not ask foreign mercenaries for exchange. Thousands of prisoners of war of the Russian army, including wounded, sick and conscripts, still remain in Ukraine," the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said.