MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. Russian forces took prisoner 31 Ukrainian troops in just one day, Andrey Mordvichev, commander of Russia’s Battlegroup Center, said on Sunday.

"I would tell you that we took prisoner 31 Ukrainian soldier yesterday alone. Some surrendered, others were captured on the battlefield," he said in an interview with the Soloviov Live television channel.

According to Mordvichev, Ukrainian prisoners are surprised that they are not tortured in captivity, because Kiev’s propaganda scares them with torture and maltreatment. "Many prisoners return [to Ukraine] to be sent to the frontline again. They tell about how they were treated [in captivity] and the stereotypes has changed. <…> Many even ask: "Please don’t release us to Ukraine.’ They understand that after the swap they will be sent to the frontline again," he said.

He noted that the Ukrainian command doesn’t care about soldiers and Ukraine’s losses exceed Russia’s. "AS for the losses, it is difficult to cite exact statistics. They don’t care about people, about losses. <…> A lot of people are killed," he stressed.