'Everybody Wants to Go Home'. Ukraine–Russia Prisoner Exchange Reveals Unexpected Stories

Testimonies from captured Ukrainian servicemen, alongside details of a recent Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange, draw attention to battlefield decisions, financial pressures, and the human dimension of the conflict. Captured Ukrainian Soldier Reports Refusal to Open Fire Yevgeny Berestenko, assistant grenade launcher operator of the 31st Separate Communications Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that commanders ordered soldiers to open fire on Russian troops. According to him, Ukrainian servicemen refused to comply. "Someone began knocking on the door of the house. We shouted, "Who is there?' They answered that it was the Russian army and that we should surrender. Over the radio, our commanders yelled at us to open lethal fire. But we did not intend to do so because everyone wants to return home, and one's own life matters more,” Berestenko said. Berestenko also claimed that Russian soldiers treated Ukrainian captives humanely while in detention.