Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya meets POWs who fought for Russia in Ukraine

Dmytro Usov, Secretary of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, has met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader in exile, and her team, who also had an opportunity to speak with Belarusian prisoners of war who fought for Russia.

Source: Coordination Headquarters on social media

Details: The Belarusian delegation received a briefing on the Coordination Headquarters' work searching for, identifying and repatriating prisoners of war and missing persons and cooperating with international organisations.

Usov explained how Belarusian citizens are recruited into Russia's Armed Forces and how many have already been killed in action, adding that they are typically sent on assault missions.

Quote from Usov: "Since September 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has been running I Want to Live, a project which enables invaders to notify Ukrainian defence forces in advance of their intention to surrender. Unlike Russia, Ukraine adheres strictly to international law, particularly regarding the treatment of prisoners of war."

Details: The Headquarters said the Belarusian delegation was able to speak with Belarusian prisoners of war who had fought for Russia. Tsikhanouskaya said their actions do not represent the views of most people in Belarusian society, adding that the opposition is working to prevent the Kremlin from dragging Minsk into a full-scale war.

Quote from Tsikhanouskaya: "We are grateful to the Ukrainian people for their resilience and will continue to draw the international community's attention to the crimes of regimes that disregard human life and human rights."

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