Why information about Ukrainian prisoners of war should not be published on social media

Yesterday, we addressed the issue of information scavengers who exploit a patriotic facade to indiscriminately share anything they can lay their hands on. This includes unverified information as well as intentionally malicious fakes. Of particular concern are posts soliciting information about captured servicemen. This call was shared by 155,000 individuals within the Good Deeds group! Do not engage in such actions, as it can inflict harm on both the prisoners and their families. 

Why? The following is an explanation provided by Petro Yatsenko, the head of the press service at the Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. 

“Such posts are part of a viral campaign orchestrated by the enemy to gather additional information about Ukrainian prisoners. The russians employ various tactics, such as creating numerous Telegram channels and Facebook pages, monitoring comments and compiling data: who served with whom, family ties and affiliations. Subsequently, they exploit this information to coerce and recruit the prisoners’ relatives, subjecting them to blackmail and causing harm to the prisoners.

The dissemination of such information also serves a propagandistic agenda. Whether individuals do it consciously or unknowingly, by spreading these messages, they contribute to the demoralization and undermining of society. The widespread perception of numerous soldiers being held captive is perpetuated alongside false claims that the Ukrainian government doesn’t care for them and shows no interest in securing their release. However, this narrative is a blatant lie. In reality, Ukraine has a substantial number of russian prisoners available for exchange, yet russia consistently sabotages these exchanges and shows no genuine concern for the well-being of its own people, let alone the liberation of Ukrainian captives.

Instead of commenting or sharing such posts, it’s strongly advised to contact the headquarters of the Coordination Center. We have a dedicated team, widespread offices throughout Ukraine, and we work closely with the prisoners’ relatives. Our objective is to gather vital information, locate the prisoners, and actively pursue their release from captivity.”

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