Captured Russian soldiers.
Russian soldiers who have been captured by Ukrainian forces expressed their apprehension about facing death by firing squad if they are repatriated.
During a press conference in Kyiv, a soldier from the 2nd Motor Rifle Division revealed his fear of being executed upon his return to Russia, as reported by the Daily Telegraph on Thursday.
One of the captured soldiers stated, “In Russia, we are already considered dead. I was given the opportunity to call my parents and they told me that a funeral for me had already been arranged. If we are exchanged, then we will be shot by our own people.”
Another captured Russian soldier recounted an incident where he and his fellow troops were fired upon when attempting to protect Ukrainian civilians.
According to the captured soldier, his comrade, a lieutenant, was killed by his own side as they tried to save a woman in her 20s and her mother, after Russian soldiers were ordered to fire on civilians on February 24 in Kharkiv.
The captured soldier claimed he was shot in the foot, and the lieutenant was killed when other troops realized the pair weren’t shooting at the civilians.
On March 2, captured Russian soldiers described the invasion of Ukraine as being in “complete disarray,” according to voice recordings obtained by a British intelligence company.
The intercepted radio messages indicated that troops are refusing to obey central command orders to shell Ukrainian towns and are complaining about running out of supplies of food and fuel.
Parts of the Russian military still use analogue ‘walkie talkie’ two-way radios, making them more vulnerable to interception.
The recordings are among approximately 24 hours of material obtained by the intelligence firm ShadowBreak since the invasion of Ukraine began last week.
Other video recordings purportedly show Russian soldiers retreating back into Russia out of frustration.
An alleged text message sent by a soldier to his mother, as reported by The Telegraph, said, “The only thing I want right now is to kill myself.”
A senior US defence official told the New York Times on March 1 that some troops have deliberately punctured holes in their vehicles’ petrol tanks in the hope of avoiding combat.
This week, Ukrainian authorities claimed that more than 12,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, a number that could not be independently verified. Russia has only admitted to 2,095 casualties, including 498 deaths and 1,597 wounded.