Russia Jails Polish Man Who Fought for Ukraine, Says He Switched Sides in Captivity

A Russian court in the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk has sentenced Polish citizen Krzysztof Flaczek to 13 years in a high-security penal colony for participate in combat on Ukraine’s side.

According to Reuters, Polish broadcaster TVP World, and other open sources, Krzysztof Flaczek fought for Ukraine as a foreign volunteer.

In early 2025, he was captured by Russian forces during fighting near Chasiv Yar.

After his disappearance, Flaczek reappeared a few months later in a propaganda video released by the Russian agency Sputnik.

In the video, it was claimed that the Pole had allegedly switched to Russia’s side and joined the Russian army.

Such claims are often used by the Russian side for information and psychological operations targeting foreign volunteers.

According to Polish media, Flaczek also appeared in reports related to the Maksym Kryvonos Battalion.

This unit is used by Russia as a propaganda project involving Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The Polish consul in Moscow has already appealed to the Russian side for official clarification regarding the case of the Polish citizen.

In Warsaw, the case has been treated as a matter of consular protection and respect for the detainee’s rights.

It is currently unknown under what conditions Flaczek was held after his capture or under what circumstances his public statements were recorded.

The use of prisoners of war for propaganda has been repeatedly documented during the Russia–Ukraine war.

Russia regularly prosecutes foreign volunteers who fought on Ukraine’s side, treating them as mercenaries.

Flaczek’s case became another example of how prisoners of war can be used in political and media campaigns by the Kremlin.

However, recently, Russia lost a satellite that provided propaganda broadcasting to the occupied territories of Ukraine.