The defender of Mariupol said that during the exchange of prisoners of war, a military man who could work with the Russians returned

Viktor "Leleka" Lakhno, a former prisoner of war and soldier who participated in the air raid to Mariupol, said that as a result of todayʼs prisoner exchange, a soldier who allegedly collaborated with the Russians was returned. Ukrainian intelligence and 35 Separate Brigade of the marines, in which the military man serves, reacted.

Lakhno wrote on Instagram that military officer Maksym Bobylev was allegedly involved in the beating of the fighters of the Azov brigade and cooperated with the administration of the colony where the prisoners were kept.

Also, according to Lakhno, Bobylev renounced Ukrainian citizenship and expressed a desire to obtain a Russian passport.

He also claims that Bobylev, during his captivity, allegedly befriended an employee of the Olenivka disciplinary detention center, nicknamed Kortik, who is "an executioner who tortured a lot of our boys."

"I have already passed the information on to the relevant authorities," Lakhno added.

After that, he shared in his Instagram stories testimonies from other people, who also confirmed the fighterʼs cooperation with the administration of Russian colonies.

According to Lakhnoʼs acquaintances, another man named Vyshnevskyi was exchanged, who is also accused of collaborating with Russian supervisors.

The 35th separate brigade of marines assured that the information about the soldier is carefully checked, but did not specify his name.

"If the facts presented in the media are confirmed, appropriate decisions will be made within the limits of the current legislation," the message says.

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, also reacted to the situation.

He emphasized that after release, post-isolation support is provided for military personnel, which includes not only treatment, but also work with law enforcement agencies.

"If there are certain facts that require verification and additional attention, including from the point of view of counter-intelligence aspects, then such work should be carried out," the representative of the GUR emphasized.

• On July 17, the 54th exchange of prisoners with Russia took place. Another 95 Ukrainians were returned home, among them soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and border guards. In total, 3,405 people were returned from Russian captivity.