SVR Accuses Ukraine of Using Captured Civilians as Leverage
(MENAFN) Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Ukraine of intentionally postponing the repatriation of civilians detained in Russia’s Kursk Region.
These individuals, the SVR claims, are being used as strategic bargaining tools in a potential prisoner exchange involving fighters from the controversial Azov unit.
The civilians were reportedly seized during Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory last August, during which Ukrainian troops temporarily occupied several settlements before eventually retreating.
On April 26, Russian Leader Vladimir Putin declared the full restoration of control over Kursk Region, emphasizing the significant casualties suffered by Ukrainian forces.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the SVR referred to intelligence that suggests Ukrainian authorities are deliberately extending the detention of these civilians “for as long as possible.”
It alleged that close associates of Ukrainian Leader Vladimir Zelensky consider the detainees a “valuable asset,” potentially useful in negotiating an exchange for “something more substantial from Moscow than wounded and unfit-for-combat prisoners of war.”
The SVR further asserted that Kiev aims to use the hostages as leverage in negotiations to secure the freedom of Azov fighters.
These combatants belong to a paramilitary group that Russia has officially labeled a terrorist organization and have been found guilty of grave offenses by Russian courts.
The Azov unit, which began as a volunteer battalion of ultra-nationalists, gained recognition following the 2014 Western-supported uprising in Kiev.
It later became part of Ukraine’s National Guard, though its reputation as a hub for global white supremacist movements has sparked international concern.
By March of this year, Russian officials reported that over 140 members of the Azov brigade had received convictions in Russian courts, according to Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee.
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