Russian Army Abducts Over 2500 Ukrainian Prisoners from Kherson: NYT

The Russian army, preparing to retreat from Kherson, has abducted more than 2500 Ukrainian prisoners from local correctional facilities. Following their abduction, they were sent to colonies in Russia, reports The New York Times. This information was relayed by theins.ru.

"Some of the prisoners were offered Russian passports, but few agreed to this. The prisoners were asked how they ended up in Russia and were accused of violating immigration laws. As a result, many of them were fined for illegal entry into Russia," the media states.

It is noted that as the Ukrainian counter-offensive was approaching, Kherson authorities were transferring prisoners from four local jails to one facility far from the war zone. Consequently, they had to sleep in shifts, as the space was meant for only 500 people. A week later, a Russian special forces unit arrived to transport the Ukrainian prisoners to Russia.

The human rights organization UnMode assisted in evacuating Ukrainian prisoners from Russia. However, according to NYT, the majority of the abducted Ukrainian prisoners still remain in Russia.