16% Of Kyiv's Russian POWs Are Men Forcibly Drafted From Occupied Ukraine

16% of the "Russian" prisoners of war being held by Ukraine are actually Ukrainian citizens who were forcibly drafted into the Russian military. 6% of them are from Crimea alone. 

This reveals the deeper manpower challenges the Kremlin faces as these Ukrainians are mostly reluctant soldiers, many of whom surrendered as soon as the opportunity presented itself. JL

Roman Sheremeta reports in his social media feed and Oleksandr Shumilin reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Russia has forcibly mobilized more than 46,000 Ukrainians from temporarily occupied territories. It is also known that 16% of prisoners held in Ukrainian POW camps are Ukrainian citizens, and 6% of them are residents of Crimea. Russia has imposed mandatory mobilization quotas for each occupied region. A draft law is currently under consideration in the Ukrainian parliament that would allow Ukrainian citizens held in captivity in Ukraine to be released, remain in the country and fulfil their obligations.

Russia has forcibly mobilized more than 46,000 Ukrainians from temporarily occupied territories.

Donetsk region — 5,368

Luhansk region — 4,650

Zaporizhzhia region — 560

Kherson region — 478

Crimea — 35,272

It is also known that 16% of prisoners held in Ukrainian POW camps are Ukrainian citizens, and 6% of them are residents of Crimea.

Russia has imposed mandatory mobilization quotas for each occupied region. Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, during the 3rd Crimea Global international conference

Quote: "In percentage terms, 16% of those currently held in captivity here are our citizens. Of these, 6% are Crimeans. This is a large figure. These are citizens of ours. We understand that, as a state, we must make the right decisions when the Russian side requests their exchange, because it is confusing when a Ukrainian citizen is exchanged for a Ukrainian citizen."

Details: Usov did not specify the total number of POWs in Ukraine but stressed that the figure refers to civilians.

He noted that a draft law is currently under consideration in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) that would allow Ukrainian citizens held in captivity in Ukraine to be released, remain in the country and fulfil their obligations.

The deputy commander of the 3rd Army Corps, Dmytro Kukharchuk, stated that Russian forces plan to mobilize an additional 50,000–100,000 men in Luhansk region.