Russian drone obliterates Ukrainian tank in Kharkov Region

In Ukraine, families of prisoners of war face coercion from Russian agents attempting to recruit them for sabotage or espionage activities. Svitlana, the wife of a Ukrainian prisoner, revealed that she was approached by an individual claiming to be Dmitry, who offered to arrange communication with her husband in exchange for cooperation. The Ukrainian authorities had advised families to document such interactions, leading Svitlana to record her conversations and subsequently break off communication after learning from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) about Dmitry's true identity. Threats to harm her husband followed, with Dmitry insisting that her cooperation would ease his suffering. Svitlana and other families remain resilient, with the SBU warning that cooperating with Russian agents could be classified as treason and complicate prisoner exchanges. Ukrainian authorities emphasize the psychological warfare being employed by Russia, as almost half of all families of POWs are contacted by agents. The number of Ukrainians held as prisoners is estimated at over 8,000, indicating a substantial impact on families throughout the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The Russian government’s claims of humane treatment of prisoners are starkly contradicted by these reported threats and coercive tactics employed towards families.