A Russian soldier at the front: press service of the Russian Ministry of Defence / AP
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has officially admitted that it is sending released prisoners of war back to the front, despite the fact that the Geneva Convention clearly prohibits the use of former prisoners of war in hostilities. This information was reported by the independent Russian portal stories.media.
In June 2023, the Ukrainian military captured two Russian soldiers, Vasily Grigoriev and Dmitry Davidov, near the Belgorod region of Russia. After eight months of captivity, they were released, but returned to combat the next day. However, their escape from the trenches and surrender to the military prosecutor’s office led to further events.
During the investigation launched by the Russian authorities, Grigoriev and Davydov were enlisted in a military unit in Moscow region. Three days after the appeal to the prosecutor’s office, Dmitriy Davydov died of ‘sudden cardiac arrest’.
Grigoriev appealed against the decision of the Russian Defence Ministry to send him to the front after his release from Ukrainian captivity. In October 2023, the Ministry of Defence refused to discharge him from service, Grigoriev’s lawyer, Maxim Grebenyuk, confirmed.
The official response of the Russian Ministry of Defence states that the serviceman continues to serve in accordance with the legislation that defines compulsory military service during mobilisation and martial law. However, this document actually recognises a violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the use of former prisoners of war in hostilities (Article 117).
The Russian authorities argue that Grigoriev’s case does not fall into the category of prisoners of war who must be repatriated before the end of the war, thus avoiding the application of the Geneva Convention.
This incident has attracted widespread attention around the world due to the violation of international norms and the use of prisoners as a human resource in a prolonged war.
