Three military pilots returned from Ukrainian captivity, the Russian Defense Ministry said. State Duma deputy from Chechnya Shamsail Saraliev made public the names of the returned officers and published a joint photo with the military.
The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on April 10, Shamsail Saraliev announced the return of a group of 106 servicemen from Ukrainian captivity. The deputy published similar reports on February 4 and January 8, 2023, as well as on December 31, 2022.
Ramzan Kadyrov reported on the return of prisoners with the participation of Saraliev on December 8, December 3 and November 5, 2022. The head of Chechnya explained that Saraliev joined the exchanges on his behalf, and called the success in the return of the prisoners the personal merit of the deputy. On January 4, speaking about Saraliev’s successes, Kadyrov presented the Ministry of Defense as a secondary participant in the return of prisoners.
Three Russian servicemen, pilots of the Aerospace Forces (VKS), were returned from Ukrainian captivity “as a result of a complex negotiation process,” the Russian Defense Ministry said today.
“All the released are provided with the necessary medical and psychological assistance. The released servicemen will be delivered by aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry,” the ministry’s Telegram channel said. The names and positions of the released pilots are not indicated in the department’s message.
Shamsail Saraliev on his Telegram channel published a joint photo with four men in camouflage and gave the names of the released soldiers.
“Today, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation returns from Ukrainian captivity our heroes – Russian pilots: 1. Krishtop Maxim Sergeevich, lieutenant colonel, deputy regiment commander; 2. Kosik Sergey Sergeevich, lieutenant colonel, deputy regiment commander; 3. Sergey Vladimirovich Malov, major, aviation commander “, – wrote the deputy.
Recall that on April 15, Ramzan Kadyrov announced that five Chechen fighters had returned to Grozny from Ukrainian captivity. He refused to meet with them, saying that “a Chechen soldier should not have any reason to be captured,” and fellow countrymen who returned from captivity should again go to the front line. “Let them prove that they did not avoid fighting,” Kadyrov said.
At the same time, the chairman of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov, said that the fighters returned from Ukrainian captivity “showed an example of courage and loyalty to the Motherland” and “showed themselves as true Chechens.”
Kadyrov’s words were aimed at preventing the surrender of Chechen fighters into captivity and fit into Stalin’s traditions, when captivity was considered a disgrace, human rights activists interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” pointed out.
The return of five Chechen fighters to Grozny, which Kadyrov announced on April 15, was the eighth time that Kadyrov and Saraliyev were involved in the return of prisoners. At the same time, earlier, in September 2022, Kadyrov expressed dissatisfaction with the exchange of prisoners of war, which was organized by the Ministry of Defense and the FSB. According to him, then the exchange took place on Ukrainian terms, and the head of Chechnya and the active participants in the military operation were not consulted before that.
But already on November 5, 2022, Kadyrov expressed satisfaction with the return of another group of prisoners of war. Shamsail Saraliyev took part in the negotiations this time, the head of Chechnya noted. Kadyrov’s participation in the prisoner exchange looks like it was agreed with the Kremlin, and the head of Chechnya is expected to use this role for PR, analysts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” pointed out in November 2022.