Coerced into Conflict: Inside the Plight of DPR Prisoners Forced into Ukrainian Frontlines

Prisoners from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have been coerced into frontline combat roles in Ukraine, despite promises of pardons and release, reports from "Важные истории" reveal. These individuals, recruited from DPR colonies, were initially assured that their convictions would be expunged and they would be pardoned after six months of service. However, they were subsequently forced to sign open-ended contracts under threat and held within a military unit.

The recruits, integrated into the operational-combat tactical formation "Cascade" (Kaskad) under DPR Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksey Dikiy, faced severe conditions and broken promises. Their grievances, including torture and forced combat duties, have now reached the presidential administration through official complaints.

One soldier recounted the stark reality within "Cascade": "To take a 24-hour leave, you're sent to the assault unit. Refusing is not an option." He described how the unit suffered significant losses, with wounded or sick soldiers replaced constantly. Commanders resorted to brutal tactics such as electric shocks to discipline dissenters, and escape attempts were met with beatings and immediate return to combat duties.

In January 2024, financial support for Cascade fighters ceased, and by April of the same year, the formation was disbanded along with one of its divisions. Despite being dismissed, the prisoners were not pardoned and remain under compulsion to sign contracts with the DPR Ministry of Defense.

Desperate to escape their predicament, one prisoner voiced his plea: "I want to be pardoned and free. I refuse to sign this contract. They threaten to put me on a wanted list, return me to detention centers, beat me unconscious,...