On October 4, Russian forces deployed in the DPR reported that the entire Ukrainian platoon surrendered and abandoned their stronghold. In several day, they supported their claims with footage from the reconnaissance UAV.
The video confirmed that at least 17 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered without fighting. As a result, their stronghold came under Russian control. The Ukrainians contacted the Russian side via the special radio channel called ‘Volga’. They launched negotiations and after the Ukrainian servicemen were assured that they will be provided with the decent treatment in Russian captivity and that their personal data will not be revealed to the Ukrainian military, the unit agreed to lay down their weapons.
The surrendered Ukrainian servicemen claimed that they were ordered to hold control of the positions even after they ran out of ammunition. Abandoned by their command, the bodies of the killed and the wounded were not evacuated from the trenches.
On October 5, another video filmed by Russian forces showed six more Ukrainian servicemen who surrendered in the Bakhmut region. Ukrainian soldiers explained that they surrendered after they came under fire of Ukrainian barrier squad. The AFU first threw a group of 8 servicemen of the anti-tank platoon into assault without food, waster and necessary equipment. As a result, at least two servicemen were killed the others surrendered.
These are only two examples of the numerous cases of surrender. The number of Ukrainian servicemen unwilling to fight is growing rapidly. This is the result of various challenges that they face on the front. The low morale, insufficient training, attitude of their command and the barrier squads who are pushing them to death force Ukrainian servicemen to surrender. More and more of them realise that the Russian captivity is much better than the death from the arms of their own comrades. This is also thanks to the active Russian propaganda campaign on the front, which provides the Ukrainian servicemen with all the necessary information how to surrender safely and save their lives.
