Russian soldiers surrender to Ukraine en masse, citing 'inhumane treatment' by command
"There is more refusal to engage in conflict from the invading forces," admitted Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Tauride direction, covering the Zaporizhzhia region and the western part of the Donetsk region.
3:37 PM EST, December 25, 2023
Russians opt for Ukrainian captivity over fighting
As the spokesperson added, as quoted by the RBK-Ukraine portal, Russians are willingly submitting to Ukrainian captivity in large groups. For instance, in recent days, a group of six soldiers surrendered after a brief skirmish, while another group simply dropped their weapons without initiating any conflict.
According to the spokesperson, Russian forces stationed in Ukraine are increasingly rebelling and opting out of participation in battles due to the "inhumane treatment" they experience from their own command.
The situation between Russian soldiers and their command is incredibly tense. Shtupun reports that for refusing to participate in operations or for other military offenses, soldiers are severely punished. Commanders order them to strip naked and put them in so-called cold pits, where they are beaten and threatened with execution. This brutal treatment is leading more Kremlin soldiers to prefer to be in Ukrainian captivity.
