On August 10, 2025, as the world’s eyes remained fixed on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a new chapter unfolded in the high-stakes struggle over prisoners of war and political detainees. Multiple reports surfaced detailing Russia’s latest information campaign, which, according to Ukrainian authorities and international observers, is designed to discredit Ukraine and undermine the delicate process of prisoner exchanges. The campaign, which involves the creation of fake photos and staged interviews with Ukrainian prisoners from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, highlights the Kremlin’s continued use of propaganda and manipulation as a tool of war.
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD), Russia has begun preparing a fresh wave of misinformation targeting Ukraine’s handling of prisoners of war. The campaign is not without precedent. In recent months, Moscow has already circulated false appeals, purportedly from Ukrainian prisoners, claiming they had been excluded from exchange lists at Kyiv’s behest. The CPD, as reported on Telegram and cited by Ukrainian media, warned, “This campaign is part of a larger strategy of Russia aimed at destabilizing the internal situation in Ukraine and disrupting the exchange process in the format of ‘everyone for everyone’, which Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized. But the Kremlin is blocking this process, using the topic of prisoners for political and informational pressure.”
The timing of this campaign is no accident. With the war grinding into its fourth year, the fate of prisoners—both military and civilian—remains a deeply emotional issue for Ukrainians. The Azovstal defenders, in particular, have become symbols of national resistance after their dramatic stand during the siege of Mariupol. Now, Russia’s alleged efforts to stage interviews and photographs with these prisoners threaten to further inflame public sentiment and could potentially derail ongoing negotiations for their release.
What makes this campaign especially concerning, according to the CPD and international legal experts, is its blatant disregard for the Geneva Conventions. The use of prisoners for propaganda and manipulation, especially in staged media productions, violates the core principles of Articles 13 and 14 of the Geneva Convention, which mandate humane treatment and prohibit exploitation of prisoners of war. Yet, as the CPD notes, “the Moscow regime continues to actively use disinformation and manipulation for its political goals, disregarding international standards and conventions.”
The impact of these tactics is not limited to the battlefield or the negotiating table. They resonate deeply within Ukrainian society, where the fate of prisoners is a source of both hope and anxiety. Recent events underscore just how personal this issue is: a 13-year-old girl was recently returned to Ukraine from Russian-occupied territory, a rare moment of relief amid otherwise grim news. But such positive developments are easily overshadowed by the specter of manipulation and stalled exchanges, leaving families in agonizing limbo.
Meanwhile, the plight of political prisoners remains a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict. On the same day the new information campaign was reported, Crimean political prisoner and Ukrainian journalist Serhii Tsyhypa marked his 64th birthday behind bars, a milestone that drew attention from human rights organizations and the Ukrainian public alike. Tsyhypa, a volunteer from Nova Kakhovka, was detained by Russian forces on March 12, 2022, after his phone was found to contain pro-Ukrainian content. In 2023, the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea sentenced him to thirteen years in prison, a punishment widely condemned as politically motivated and illegal under international law.
While imprisoned, Tsyhypa managed to send encrypted messages to his wife, Olena Tsepiga, using acrostic poems to describe the humiliation and torture he endured. “I received one such letter and it was an acrostic poem. It means captivity, and the first line is the letter ‘p’, so there was a phrase ‘Humiliation, torture, humiliation’. So from all this we can conclude how they are being abused there,” Olena explained in an interview with Suspilne, as reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center. Her account was corroborated by Oleksandr Tarasov, a former Kremlin prisoner and journalist who shared a cell with Tsyhypa and recalled the daily torture inflicted on political detainees.
Tsyhypa’s case is emblematic of a broader pattern of repression in Russian-occupied territories. His background—a former major in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a Euromaidan activist, journalist, and winner of the National Prize for Freedom of Speech in 2024—made him a target for the occupation authorities. His detention and subsequent sentencing have drawn condemnation from human rights groups and intensified calls for international pressure on Moscow to release political prisoners.
The stakes in these prisoner exchanges are not just personal, but profoundly political. For Ukraine, securing the release of its soldiers and civilians is a matter of national honor and morale. For Russia, the issue has become a tool for leverage, both domestically and on the world stage. By manipulating the narrative and sowing doubt about Ukraine’s commitment to its own people, the Kremlin hopes to weaken Kyiv’s resolve and fracture its unity. As the CPD warned, “the campaign aims to destabilize Ukraine internally and block the prisoner exchange process of ‘everyone for everyone’.”
Amid these tensions, the international community has sought creative solutions to break the deadlock. On August 10, 2025, Roger Carstens, the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, was reportedly rushing across Tel Aviv to meet Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to Dow Jones & Company, Carstens had previously been denied permission by the Biden administration to meet Abramovich, who is considered a “back channel wizard” with the influence to resolve some of the thorniest diplomatic knots. This clandestine meeting underscores the lengths to which diplomats are willing to go to secure the release of prisoners and hostages—a process fraught with secrecy, risk, and the ever-present specter of political fallout.
Against this backdrop, Ukrainian officials and civil society groups continue to push for transparency and adherence to international law. They warn that Russia’s information operations are not just aimed at Ukraine, but at the broader international community, seeking to muddy the waters and obscure the reality of the conflict. The CPD’s warnings about ongoing and future campaigns highlight the need for vigilance and fact-based reporting, especially as the war shows no sign of abating.
As the conflict enters another year, the battle over truth—and the fate of those caught in the crossfire—remains as fierce as ever. For the families of prisoners, every day is a test of hope and endurance. For the diplomats and negotiators, every back-channel meeting and carefully worded statement is a move in a high-stakes game. And for the world, the challenge is to see through the fog of propaganda and keep sight of the real human lives at stake.