The "Wagner" mercenary supposedly executed in the video consented to being exchanged – Podolyak

Evgeniy Nuzhin, a "Wagner" PMC mercenary a video of whose alleged execution was posted online, consented to go to Russia as part of the prisoner exchange with Ukraine.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said so on the air of Russian TV channel "Dozhd".

According to Podolyak, Nuzhin went through the formal procedure for POW exchange and, in accordance with all the legal rules, gave his written consent for a voluntary swap.

"Our approach is very simple. A captured serviceman can sign a waiver and voluntarily refuse to be exchanged. And we will have this noted down," explained Podolyak.

He also reported that Nuzhin was exchanged in a "package for package" kind of deal, as a result of which Ukraine got back 47 of its servicemen, and Russia received "a certain number" of its own.

According to Podolyak, Evgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of the "Wagner" PMC, could have used Nuzhin for his own propaganda, punishing a military man as an example for others.

As IMI reported, the video of Evgeniy Nuzhin's alleged murder was posted on November 12 by the "Grey Zone" Telegram channel. Nuzhin served his term in Ryazan region. Wagner PMC recruited him to fight in Ukraine, where he was captured by the UAF. Later, Evgeniy Prigozhin then called the video of Nuzhin being executed "wonderful filmmaking."

The Coordination Headquarters for POW Treatment said that Russian citizen Egveniy Nuzhin, who was allegedly executed by Wagner PMC militants, is not on the list of POWs who surrendered voluntarily.