Russian forces are allegedly organizing a black market in prisoners of war, according to the
Times
, which relies on statements from Ukrainian authorities.
Chechen mercenaries would buy Ukrainian prisoners from the Russian army and then exchange them for their own.
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The British daily cites in particular a statement by Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian coordination center for the treatment of prisoners of war.
“There were cases when the Chechens bought our wounded (Ukrainians, editor's note) from the Russian army, took them to Grozny (the Chechen capital, editor's note) and then exchanged them for their own
,” says Petro Yatsenko .
Story of a prisoner's journey
In a rehabilitation center in Lviv, a city in the far west of Ukraine, Vyacheslav Levytskiy, 41, fighting on the front in February 2023, talks about his experience.
Hit by a bullet during the fighting, the Ukrainian soldier says he fainted.
When he woke up the next day, he tried to crawl until he reached a Ukrainian position.
Unfortunately for him, it had been recovered by Russian soldiers.
Wounded, Viatcheslav Levytskiy was then directly captured and tortured in the hope that he would reveal the wavelength used by Ukrainian radio stations.
Two days later, he explained that he had been taken to a Chechen position away from the front.
At the hospital, both of his legs and his hands were amputated due to gunshot wounds.
A few days later, he said he was exchanged with 39 other Ukrainians.
“Once you defeat the Russians, we will do the same”
A Chechen soldier speaking to Ukrainian prisoner Vyacheslav Levytskiy
Despite their reputation as fierce fighters who terrify their opponents, the Chechens adopted a very friendly demeanor, according to the Ukrainian soldier.
“They even gave me a wheelchair
,” rejoices Viatcheslav Levytskiy.
“When I left, we even hugged and took a photo together.
A Chechen commander told me: 'Once you defeat the Russians, we will do the same,'”
he says.
According to him, the inhabitants of the Russian Republic sympathize with the fate of Ukraine, having also suffered Russian repression during the two Chechen wars from 1994 to 1996, then from 1999 to 2000.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: the specter of a Chechen-style scenario
For Petro Yatsenko, this black market is the only solution for Grozny to recover its soldiers sent to the front, the Kadyrovtsy.
“It's the jackpot when you catch a Chechen, because we know that Grozny buys Ukrainian prisoners from Moscow to exchange its own as quickly as possible,”
he remarked in an interview with Le
Monde,
without specifying the amount.
Kadyrov rejects these accusations
Following Vyacheslav Levytskiy's testimony, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov denied the existence of this
"black market",
while rejecting allegations of torture attributed to Russian forces.
“The procedure took place in strict compliance with international law.
Therefore, I would like to clarify that there is neither a black market nor torture, whether in Russia or in the Chechen Republic
,” he said on the social network Telegram.
The number of Chechen soldiers involved in the conflict has been estimated at around 10,000 by Ukrainian authorities.
According to the
Times
, they are now fewer in number, the Chechen armed forces are more confined to logistical missions far from the front.
The RBC-Ukraine news channel lists a total of 3,135 repatriated Ukrainian prisoners as of March 6, without being able to specify the proportion of those who were exchanged with Chechens.