The foreigners who fought for Russia, now stuck in POW limbo in Ukraine

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseJanuary 30, 2026 at 09:24 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Foreign soldiers who fought for Russia in the Ukraine war are now being held as prisoners of war in a Ukrainian jail. These individuals, hailing from countries like Egypt, China, Cameroon, and Kenya, joined the Russian military for various reasons, including seeking better opportunities, escaping their home countries, or being persuaded by Russia's war aims. Some claim they were misled or coerced into military contracts. They are currently awaiting potential prisoner exchanges, though the likelihood of these occurring remains uncertain. The prisoners were interviewed by Agence France-Presse at an undisclosed prison in western Ukraine.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kenyan 50% Italian 50% Egyptian 50% Chinese 50% Cameroonian 50% Agence France-Presse ×270% Russia ×290% Ukraine ×3100%

Keywords

prisoners of war 90% foreign fighters 90% ukraine 80% russian military 70% pow exchange 70% recruitment 60% military contract 50% detention centre 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Ukraine

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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prisoners of war foreign fighters ukraine russian military pow exchange recruitment military contract detention centre

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