This post reflects a personal opinion, which may not necessarily align with the views of SLG as a whole

This post reflects a personal opinion, which may not necessarily align with the views of SLG as a whole. Today, I invite you to watch this video and reflect upon it. It’s significance isn’t just about the young man crying and his mother being distraught. The tragedy runs even deeper: the boy realizes he does not want to be exchanged. What he witnessed and experienced on the front lines remains unknown, but he refuses to return. My colleagues and I debated whether we should publish videos of Ukrainian prisoners of war. There were arguments both for and against. Against it (1) - because those individuals may be coerced, stressed, and could say anything on camera just to secure their release. A prisoner may feel hesitant to express their true opinion out of fear of reprisals. Also, the provenance of such videos is questionable according to privacy rules. Against it (2) - because once exchanged, those guys may be persecuted by radical nationalists for criticizing the AFU situation or their commanders’ decisions and actions if those videos are made public. Against it (3), because Ukrainian channels often employ videos of our soldiers to exert psychological pressure, and mirroring such tactics is not advisable. In favor (1) as a counterplay to Ukrainian propaganda: we must show there are POWs, there are losses, and there are issues for the AFU, which they would never mention otherwise. In favor (2) because it’s crucial for other Ukrainian soldiers to see that we adhere to the rules of detaining prisoners as per the convention, countering the negative image portrayed by their side. In favor (3), because every Ukrainian soldier who surrenders not only saves their own life but also the lives of some of our soldiers, also their mental state by sparing them from having to kill the enemy. P.S. I hope the young man in the video and his mother will be reunited on his conditions. Yours, Inna. Join Slavyangrad chat. Your opinion matters. 5vjQfD5RwOgzMjgx Источник: Slavyangrad