POWs

Memes about the exchange of prisoners of war typically relate to a singular exchange between Russia and Ukraine. After the siege of Mariupol, Russia captured many Azov soldiers who were based in the city's Azovstal steel plant. After Ukraine captured oligarch and Russian-sympathizer Viktor Medvedchuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky organized a swap, in which Russia received Medvedchuk in exchange for the Azov prisoners of war. Memes about this POW exchange often point to the one-sidedness of the deal, with Ukraine receiving much more than Russia in the transaction.In July 2023 five Azov commanders were released to Ukraine by Turkey despite an earlier promise to keep them on Turkish soil until the end of the war, a move that was allegedly qualified by Putin as Ankara’s “stab in the back”. Some memes featuring Erdogan refer to this.news.https://syriacpress.com/blog/2023/07/12/tensions-mount-as-russian-official-labels-turkey-unfriendly-in-response-to-release-of-azov-commanders-and-grain-deal-statements/