Prisoners of war move around a detention center on August 28, 2025 in Lviv, Ukraine. Nadia Karpova/Frontliner/Getty Images

The prisoners of war come from all corners of the world: Kenya, Nepal , Tajikistan, to name a few. Speaking different languages and coming from diverse cultures, they have one thing in common – they say they were deceived by Russia into joining a war they did not want to fight.

Nearly 200 foreigners from 37 countries have been captured fighting for Russia and are currently held as prisoners of war by Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Their accounts paint a disturbing picture of the deception, bribery and blackmail they say Moscow is using to lure foreigners into joining its military.

As Russia c

See Full Page