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The second floor of the detention center is only for Russians captured in the war - they are kept separate for security reasons.

For the same reason, it is not possible to announce exactly where the pre-trial detention in question is located, Deutsche Welle writes.

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine 5838

In one of the cells, seven men of different ages stood in line when the guards entered.

The prisoners are not surprised by the visit of the journalists - they say that representatives of the UN or the Red Cross come to them every week.

The Russians explain that they were all contracted as servicemen - and are happy to tell their stories.

"I did not see any fascists."

"Honestly, they lied to us. At first they told us that we would be involved in humanitarian activities, but they immediately sent us to the front line," Roman said.

He was wounded in the fighting in the Kharkiv region, and the Ukrainian military picked him up and gave him first aid.

Ukraine has eliminated one of the most bloodthirsty butchers - Waha

Another prisoner, tanker Artyom, explains that he deliberately decided to join the war against Ukraine after seeing an ad on the Internet that people were wanted.

In 2-3 days he learned to drive a tank and was sent to Zaporozhye, where he was later captured by fighters of the Azov Regiment.

He says he was fed and given cigarettes.

He added: "I did not see any fascists."

When asked why he went to fight in Ukraine, Artyom replied that he got on TV: "They tell so well there - that we are going to fight for the right cause. And it is not so. But my eyes were opened here," he said. her husband called the Russian army "marauders and murderers."

The life of prisoners of war

The furniture in the cell is old, it's cramped, but it's clean.

And the guards explain that it is easier with their captives - they are not aggressive, they have nowhere to run, they are just waiting to be exchanged.

While we talk to them, they bring them lunch - borsch.

For breakfast there was corn porridge with meat, say the prisoners.

They are fed three times a day, they can wash and bathe in the bathroom every day, and they are provided with opportunities for walks.

In the next cell we meet three young men - in their twenties.

Books are arranged on the table next to the beds: Kuprin, Turgenev, Aldridge.

The captives say that in their free time they read novels.

20-year-old Dmitry admits that his state of mind could be better.

On February 24, he did not even notice how he suddenly came to Ukraine from the Belgorod region of Russia.

"They didn't tell us where we were going."

"They didn't tell us where we were going. We only found out that we were in Ukraine when we saw the registration numbers of the cars. I asked the commander what we were doing here. And he said, 'Don't ask unnecessary questions, go ahead.'

Dmitry surrendered on February 27 after his tank was hit.

Oleg says he renewed his contract with the Russian armed forces in March.

"Looking at the news, I really believed that we were going to help, that there were nationalists here, that there was a war going on in which our people were being killed and tortured."

But when he arrived in the Kharkiv region, he saw something else: "There was not a single nationalist. When we entered the villages, people told us: Get out, you have no job here."

Oleg explains that when he signed the contract, he was promised training and service in the rear, but three days later he was sent to Kharkiv.

He was a platoon commander and claims that his unit tried to return from the Kharkiv region to Russia, but the command forbade it.

At one point, Oleg and his subordinates lost contact with the command, and shortly afterwards were captured by Ukrainian troops.

Another Russian general was killed in Ukraine

"Never again"

All the prisoners with whom the State Gazette spoke stated that they regretted their participation in the invasion of Ukraine.

And they claim that they did not shell peaceful villages and towns.

So far, investigators have found no evidence of war crimes committed by them.

The prisoners were also checked with a lie detector.

None of the prisoners of war we spoke to complained about poor conditions or inhuman treatment.

"Every day they come and ask if we need anything," says Roman.

There is no official information on the number of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine.

And this number is constantly changing due to regular exchanges.

"Hope dies last," said 20-year-old Dmitry, who also hopes to be exchanged.

After three months in captivity, he finally wants to return home.

And never serve in the army again.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine