Evidence

A search found one clear match for this claim: an Ukrainska Pravda (English) article headlined 'Ukrainian POWs reportedly transferred from Makiivka penal colony in occupied Donetsk Oblast to Russia,' which reproduces the claim almost verbatim and attributes the original reporting to the Ukrainian outlet Novyny Donbasu. According to that reporting, all prisoners in Penal Colony No. 32 in Makiivka are said to be moved to facilities inside Russia, with the stated official reason being inadequate detention conditions (water and heating), while Novyny Donbasu speculated an additional economic motive tied to staffing shortages at Russian penal colonies. The report notes that after an August 14, 2025 prisoner exchange, more than 35 Ukrainian citizens, including five servicemen, remained held at the colony. I could not find independent corroboration of this specific transfer claim from other major outlets (e.g., Reuters, AP, Kyiv Independent) in the searches performed, nor any dedicated fact-check of this claim by Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo. Search tool usage limits prevented further verification attempts beyond this point.