‘I’m beginning to understand that we’re not on the right side.’ WSJ spoke to Russian fighters who surrendered in Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal spoke to several Russian soldiers who surrendered to Ukraine and were taken prisoner in the early days of Ukraine’s offensive. The outlet confirmed the identities of the prisoners of war, but withheld their surnames and identifying pictures in their report. The men, “a mix of professionals, conscripts, and mercenaries” describe intense pressure from Russian military command and authorities in Russia to fight at any cost.
The men who spoke to the WSJ were being held in Kramatorsk. They surrendered last week during hand-to-hand combat, as Ukraine attacked Russian defenses near the town of Velyka Novosilka.
Anton, a former soldier who wound up in prison, had signed up for six months of service with the paramilitary group Storm Z in exchange for a pardon. A doctor declared him unfit for combat after he was wounded in March, but his commander ordered him back to the front. Anton described Storm Z’s own “blocking troops,” employed to shoot frontline soldiers who tried to retreat.
Anton added that he was “starting to realize that in this war, we’re not on the side of right.”
Many of the prisoners said morale on the Russian side was very low. They doubted their reasons for fighting and feared Russian authorities more than captivity in Ukraine. Dmitry, a draftee from Russia’s Far East, described surrendering under fire from Ukraine’s superior U.S.-made armored vehicles. He worries about what will happen if he is returned to Russia in a prisoner swap. “If I have the opportunity, I’ll refuse to be exchanged,” he told the WSJ.
