Prisoners' Dilemma in Ukraine

Since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and pro-Ukrainian forces, prisoners of war (POWs) have been subjected to summary executions, torture, forced labor, public humiliation, and a variety of other physical and emotional cruelties. They are held in poor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2015
Main Authors: Stronski, Paul, Webb, Isaac
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - US
Conflicts
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and pro-Ukrainian forces, prisoners of war (POWs) have been subjected to summary executions, torture, forced labor, public humiliation, and a variety of other physical and emotional cruelties. They are held in poor conditions without the protection of international or domestic institutions designed to safeguard their interests. Negotiations for the release of prisoners are being conducted in a haphazard manner, with no formal organizational structure empowered to negotiate with the other side. Evidence suggests that both sides have abused prisoners, though the most egregious abuses seem to have been perpetrated by the separatists, who, with Russian support, have declared the independence of Ukraine's eastern regions, citing a host of grievances against the government in Kyiv. POW exchanges were a cornerstone of the Minsk peace agreements of 2014 and 2015, which provide a framework for a settlement to the war in eastern Ukraine. Though the most recent agreement has been violated repeatedly since being signed in February, it still provides an important benchmark of stability. Yet, despite the Minsk accords and notwithstanding international pressure to release captive soldiers and citizens, the prisoner-exchange process has ground to a halt. Recent estimates suggest that between 270 and 400 Ukrainian soldiers remain in captivity, with more than 2,500 Ukrainian POWs already having been released by the separatists, according to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).