Ukraine Reports Over 100 Russian Soldiers Surrendered After Abandonment

On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reported capturing 102 Russian soldiers in what constitutes the largest group taken prisoner since the onset of the conflict. This development highlights a significant moment in the ongoing hostilities.

The capture was made public via a video shared by Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project, which aims to encourage Russian troops to defect. The footage, released on Thursday, shows a large number of uniformed men lying on their stomachs along a roadside, illustrating their status as prisoners of war.

In the caption accompanying the video, the agency stated that these soldiers had made the correct choice by surrendering, indicating that many were left vulnerable after their commanders allegedly abandoned them to escape capture.

Further footage showed a group of blindfolded soldiers being held in a tunnel. The “I Want to Live” initiative identified these individuals as belonging to Russia’s 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and Chechen special forces.

Reports from Ukrainian media, citing unnamed intelligence sources, indicated that a special forces unit successfully stormed a well-fortified Russian base in Kursk. The stronghold was equipped with underground facilities, including personal quarters, a canteen, armory, and a bathhouse, as detailed by the media outlet Pravda.

This news coincided with a briefing where Ukraine’s commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the capture of over 100 Russian troops that day.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, revealed on Thursday that discussions for prisoner exchange have commenced between both nations. This marks a significant turning point from Russia’s previous stance in May, when its human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, claimed that exchanges were stalled due to what she termed “far-fetched demands” from Kyiv.

While there has been no official count from Ukraine regarding the total number of Russian troops captured since the surprise offensive began on August 6, reports indicate the figure is in the “hundreds.”

Furthermore, Ukrainian officials have emphasized that a considerable proportion of the captured soldiers were conscripts—young men obligated to serve in the military for a year. This raises concerns regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s commitment not to deploy these conscripts into direct combat situations.

The “I Want to Live” project has consistently released content featuring captured Russian soldiers, further emphasizing their efforts to showcase the conditions surrounding the conflict. Among the footage shared were images of blindfolded Chechen soldiers, a clear indicator of the diverse elements involved in this war.

Ukraine has also claimed substantial territorial gains in recent days, asserting control over nearly 400 square miles of Russian-held land and specifically mentioning the complete capture of the town of Sudzha in Kursk.

In contrast, the Kremlin continues to assert that it has succeeded in halting Ukraine’s advance and is actively working to push Ukrainian forces back to their borders. No immediate response was issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense to inquiries seeking clarification on these developments.

The ongoing conflict and these recent developments underline the complexities and evolving dynamics involved in the war. As both sides navigate their strategies and respond to shifting circumstances, the situation remains fluid and contentious.

Source: Business Insider