"Hoped that the counter -offensive would not happen": the captives told about the losses of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

According to prisoners of war, their army has a low morale, and also loses many people after Ukraine's start of active offensive actions. One of them does not want to return to their homeland, because he is afraid of the persecution of special services. Russian invaders who were captured by Ukrainian defenders told about the colossal losses of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as barrier units at the Armed Forces. They voiced their confession to The Wall Street Journal on June 17.

The conversation took place with prisoners of war, which was kept in Kramatorsk. They managed to capture after the beginning of the Ukrainian counter -offensive in the city of Veliky Novosilka between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. They fought both conscripts and mercenaries, and some of them came from national republics in Siberia. They confessed to a huge number of things. In particular, in the low combat spirit of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as high losses.

Anatoly served in the Russian army under contract. In dealing with journalists, he mentioned that on the eve of the Counter -offensive of the Armed Forces, the invaders did not communicate with each other, which testifies to their fear. "Everyone was silent, thinking about their own, asking which side they would come. We were very scared. No one wanted to die. We hoped that the counter -offensive would not happen," the invader says.

Before the offensive, he was a regular driver - repairing the equipment and transporting drones. Only a month ago he was sent to the area of ​​the Great Novosilka. Among the prisoners was Anton, who was sentenced to drug trafficking. The contract signed in order to go out and fought after that in the group "Storm Z". The soldiers of this unit, who mostly consisted of prisoners, were forbidden to retreat for any scenarios, otherwise they were threatened with execution.

In March this year, the man was a shrapnel wound to the head and doctors found him unsuitable for further service. The command decided to send it to the front. After contact with Ukrainian defenders, Anton and other wounded fighters began to shout what they wanted to surrender, because they realized that they did not survive in the Russian troops during the defeat. Dmytro. He was mobilized and arrived in Ukraine from the Far East.

In dealing with journalists, he admitted that the moral spirit in the army was extremely low and they were constantly in one place without rotation. The man recalls that together with his friend he went to the Ukrainian military with his hands raised, because their position was attacked by artillery, and the armored cars were beaten from a close distance at the infantry. Dmitry hopes that he is not exchanged by the Russian side because he is afraid that the FSB will pursue it.