Russian soldier regrets joining Putin's army for vodka money

Anton Heraszczenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared a recording on social media. It reveals a Russian soldier confessing he joined Vladimir Putin's army solely for monetary reasons. Now, he's expressing remorse to Ukrainians for his involvement.

The soldier admitted he signed a contract with the military due to his financial desperation, specifically for buying vodka and other alcohol. At the time of enlistment, he claimed to be completely intoxicated.

"An officer was recruiting. I enlisted in the army in August 2023. They gave me a pay card, which I lost because I was drunk," the Russian explains.

Dagayev Andriej Vladimirovich, the man in question, comes from the Russian Belgorod Oblast. He spent recent years indulging in his favorite pastime - drinking. Then, in a bid to save him from dying of liver cirrhosis, his country drafted him to serve in Ukraine.

Whether by misfortune or luck, the Russian was captured by Ukrainian forces and is currently detained.

"They're sending us to be slaughtered; we're just cannon fodder to them," the captive Russian soldier lamented. He's still coming to terms with Russia's approach to warfare, despite not having fully sobered up.

The detained soldier recounts that Russians are dispatched to combat with merely two magazines of ammunition. He apologizes to the Ukrainians for his participation and vows to cease fighting.

"I endured shelling. Afterwards, I found myself alone. It got dark, and for three days, I wandered aimlessly in the forest. Eventually, I stumbled upon railway tracks and attempted to return. That's when I encountered Ukrainians," Vladimirovich shares.

Men from economically disadvantaged and isolated areas of Asia, like Tuva near the Mongolian border, are being conscripted into the Russian army. Notably, since mobilization commenced, household bank deposits in these regions have spiked by more than 50 percent.

This significant rise in bank balances stems from soldiers' earnings and compensation for severe injuries or fatalities encountered in battle.

The Russian government remains silent about the specifics of mobilization, including the number of recruits and their origins and military casualties. However, insights into the scale of Russian mobilization are gleaned from analyzing data from regional banks within Russia.