During Ukraine’s current counter-offensive, troops are able to capture many Russian soldiers – this also reveals a lot of information about inhumane practices by the Moscow military leadership. Many who volunteered for military service now regret their decision and are beginning to realize that they are “not on the side of the good guys”. They want to avoid an exchange of prisoners out of fear for compatriots.
A Russian soldier told the Wall Street Journal how he was captured in Welyka Novosilka. “It was chaotic,” says Anatoly. “There was shooting everywhere, everyone ran away. I tried to find the enemy in the field in front of me, but couldn’t see anyone. A few minutes later Ukrainians stormed our position and threw grenades into our trench. I got up and said, ‘I give up! I give up!’ called out.’ Five of his comrades were already dead in the ditch.
“We were told that all the people here are Nazis”
Regular soldiers, conscripts and mercenaries were held in the temporary POW camp that housed the magazine’s reporters. They reported poor morale within the Russian troops, and the army would not have cared about their own lives: they see themselves as victims of Moscow’s propaganda. We have been told that Ukraine is bad. The people here would be Nazis. We heard that everywhere,” says Anatoly. He had worked as a construction worker in southern Siberia before volunteering for the assignment.
Blockades fired at their own soldiers
Former prisoner Anton was lured into military service with the prospect of a pardon. In March he was badly wounded by shrapnel, including his head, and was declared unfit for war by a doctor. Despite these injuries, he was sent back to the front. There they were denied a tactical retreat – so a so-called blockade team stood behind them with orders to fire. Anton was hit first in the leg and then in the arm by Ukrainian bullets. Finally, he shouted to the enemy units, “If we go back, they’ll shoot us!” In captivity he had now realized “that we are not on the right side in this war”.
No one showed up on the scheduled release date
The prisoner of war Dmitri entered military service as a conscript. His unit was poorly trained and equipped. He only completed a short weapons and first aid training before coming to the front. After all, there was a lack of crews for tanks and other heavy equipment. “At one point we found in our administration that we should have been replaced a month ago. But no one came,” explains Dmitri.
The Ukrainian army wants to exchange the captured soldiers as soon as possible with their own troops, who are in Russian captivity. But many fighters, like Dmitri, do not want to return to their homeland. They fear that if they come back, domestic intelligence will punish or kill them.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
