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Most didn’t survive a year: Investigation reveals what happened to Russian soldiers after swap

Most didn’t survive a year: Investigation reveals what happened to Russian soldiers after swap Illustrative photo: investigation reveals what happened to Russian soldiers after the exchange (Getty Images)

More than half of the Russian soldiers who were released from captivity did not survive even a year after the exchange, according to the Khochu zhyt (I Want to Live) project.

The investigation by the Khochu zhyt project reveals that some of these Russian soldiers were killed in so-called "meat assaults," others were murdered by fellow servicemen, and some went missing without a trace.

Specifically, among those listed, only 15 former prisoners of war managed to survive for an extended period after their return. Meanwhile, 71 died in less than a year, and another 46 did not live longer than two years.

"Most of them died in 'meat assaults,' and some were killed by their own comrades," the investigation states.

Journalists spoke with relatives and acquaintances of the deceased, who confirmed that those released from captivity were almost immediately sent back to the front line after the exchange.

"Some of them weren’t even granted leave — let alone allowed to visit home! They were placed under 'special control' and then sent to die," the investigators report.

Earlier, we reported that a leak of internal Russian documents revealed massive losses in the 41st Army of the Central Military District — among them thousands killed, missing, or having deserted.