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A group of Russian soldiers captured during the war in Ukraine lines up in a Ukrainian prison in western Ukraine, on April 18, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Ukraine will soon open a new detention center for Russian prisoners of war due to the rising number of POWs, the state-run "I want to live" project reported on Nov. 7.

Another camp for Russian POWs is being prepared for launch as well, according to the report.

The project explained the increase in the number of Russian POWs by "the situation at the front, the deteriorating motivation of Russian soldiers, and the blocking of prisoner swaps by the Russian side."

The "I Want to Live" project, run by Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War, allows Russians to surrender themselves or their units to the Ukrainian army. It was launched on Sept. 19 last year, two days before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced mobilization in Russia.

‘I want to go home’: Inside a Russian prisoner of war camp in Ukraine
Editor’s note: The location of the prisoner of the war detention center is undisclosed for security reasons. The Kyiv Independent got vocal recorded agreement from the prisoners of the war to be interviewed and identified in the story. Undisclosed location in Western Ukraine – Private Alexey Strelk…

Conditions in the new camp will meet all the requirements of international humanitarian law, the project wrote, adding that it was also true for the Zakhid-1 (West-1) camp, the first such facility for Russian POWs in Ukraine opened in May 2022.

"The Russian soldiers will be provided with medical care, three meals a day, communication with relatives, as well as constant access to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The camp itself is located deep in the rear, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions."

Ukrainian authorities don't reveal how many POW centers there are in the country, nor how many Russian captives are currently in custody in Ukraine.

Ukrainians in Russia fear mobilization: ‘If conscripted, I will shoot Russians and surrender’
Editor’s note: The names of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. When Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization,…

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