Russian blogosphere is fuming today (09/22/22) with anger and indignation for being cheated. Right after long anticipated decision about partial mobilization was announced, Ukrainian media sources shared the news that another PoW exchange has taken place. 215 Ukrainian PoWs, including 108 nationalist regiment Azov fighters along with their commanders and foreign mercenaries convicted to death penalty by the Donbass republics, like Aiden Aslin, were handed over to Ukraine in exchange for 55 Russian PoWs (two senior officers among them). As a cherry on a cake, former leader of the Ukrainian opposition party, Viktor Medvedchuk, that was arrested before the start of the SMO and accused of treason by Ukrainian authorities, was included in exchange as well. Medvedchuk happens to be related to Putin by family ties as Putin is a godfather to one of Medvedchuk's children.
The exchange deal was negotiated with participation of the Turkish president Recep Erdogan and the Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman. Return of healthy, well treated and well fed in detention Ukrainian PoWs is widely celebrated in Ukraine with social media photos and interviews. In response returning PoWs promise to go back to the front to fight Russians as soon as situation will permit. In contrast only one photo and one short video of Russian PoWs returning home was shared so far. There was no warm reception organized by Russia for returning soldiers as they landed at the auxillary airfield near Moscow. Not Putin, nor Peskov or Shoygu have provided any comments on exchange so far. Seven of returned PoWs were in a pretty bad shape and had to be hospitalized on arrival. Some report they were treated reasonably well by Ukrainian side, while others say they were subjected to beatings and torture in captivity.
Based on these events Russian society asks a reasonable question of their supreme commander and the dear leader, VVP as they affectionately call him. How this inequivalent exchange based on 4-to-1 formula and including Ukrainian citizen and politician handed over to Russia should inspire people recruited under new mobilization orders to go and fight for Russian interests? In short, Russian society is again in the grips of a sense of betrayal that only recently spontaneously appeared after "strategic withdrawal to regroup" from Kharkov region. Time after time Russia sends to Ukrainian authorities and country's nationalist leaders the signals of impunity - you can do and say whatever you want and there will be no consequences for you.
How do you like that, Elon Musk?!
P.S. More information about the exchange starts to pour in. Returned by DPR (on orders from Russia) to Ukrainian side are several combatants of the Azov regiment that were documented to execute Russian PoWs and civilians in Mariupol. How would Russian official propaganda provide coverage for this decision? Probably the usual way, just by silence, and focusing public's attention on the positive, “our 55 men are home”. Even silenced for a while Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who's fighters played a big role in taking over Mariupol, has expressed his discontent again. Among released Azov combatants there was a man by a nickname Khimik (Chemist) that not only killed Russian PoW on video, but he gravely insulted Kadyrov's mother and father that by Chechen code of honor is punishable by death. Now he is a free man ready to insult again. One thing coming out of this story for sure is that Ukrainians are tough and successful negotiators and Russians are not. Perhaps they should attend a negotiations technique seminar by Dr. Chester Karrass - I'm not joking, negotiation skills on the Russian side are non-existent.
Feeds my suspicions that the war is staged.