Two Russian assault troops wounded and captured Ukrainian serviceman Volodymyr “Pozytyv” Aleksandrov, who then persuaded them to lay down their arms. The incident occurred in Donetska oblast on January 31, 2026.
Journalist Andrii Tsaplienko reported this on his Telegram channel.
Incident near Kostiantynivka
During a combat clash, Russian occupiers from the 1008th Motorized Rifle Regiment wounded and captured Aleksandrov. For a long time, forces lost contact with the AFU soldier and listed him as missing in action.
While in captivity, the Ukrainian serviceman entered negotiations with the occupiers and convinced two of them to surrender. Together, they attempted to cross the front line, but only one occupier survived. Despite his wounds, Volodymyr Aleksandrov tried to crawl back to Ukrainian positions on his own together with the captured Russian assault trooper.
Eventually, Volodymyr was evacuated from the dangerous area and handed over to medics. The rescue operation took place under the command of the commander of the 11th Army Corps, Hero of Ukraine Pavlo Fedosenko.
Captives and Their Motives
The Russian soldier Aleksandr Sinieshchokov, originally from Stavropolskyi Krai, served in the 1008th Motorized Rifle Regiment. He said that his comrades abandoned him and another wounded soldier, which prompted them to agree to surrender to Ukrainian forces.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports over 10,000 Russian POWs currently in Ukraine. The AFU notes occupiers often surrender only when they see no way out or face personal and family reasons.
Previous Package
Throughout the full-scale war, Russian forces have executed at least hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukrainian authorities and international missions have documented these cases.
In particular, Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office reports that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has executed at least 273 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Investigators classify these cases as war crimes.
The UN Monitoring Mission also confirms an increase in such killings on the battlefield. In some cases, they occur immediately after surrender or during attempts to surrender.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war constitutes a direct and repeated violation of the Third Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
