Russian prisoners of war repent: ‘If we retreat, they will shoot us’ At least 19 injured in Illinois shooting

Despite many attempts at international mediation, Russia’s war against Ukraine does not look likely to end anytime soon. About two weeks ago, the Ukrainian army launched its long-awaited counter-offensive. The goal: to recapture as many areas occupied by Russian troops as possible.

According to observers of the war, Ukraine is making progress and is slowly but surely penetrating Russian-occupied territory. However, the Ukrainian army would not have reached the strongest defensive positions of the Russians yet. Yet there are repeated reports of recaptured villages and areas. With the recaptures, the number of prisoners of war also grows – because not all Russian occupiers die or are able to retreat behind the better-fortified defense lines if they lose their positions to Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal had the chance to speak with some Russian prisoners of war. Their team of about 20 people surrendered after fierce firefights with the Ukrainian army near the town of Welyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast. How do the prisoners experience the war and their role in it? How did their surrender go?

Anatoly comes from the Altai Mountains. It is located in southern Siberia, bordering China and Mongolia. His unit waited anxiously in their defensive positions for the Ukrainian soldiers. “Everyone was quiet and wondering which way they were coming from,” Anatoly told the Wall Street Journal. “We were very scared, because no one wants to die. We just hoped that the Ukrainian counter-offensive would not come.”

There was a lot of propaganda about Ukraine in Russia, Anatoly reported. “We were told that the Ukrainians were all Nazis. We heard that everywhere.” The soldier said the Russian army had originally assigned him as a driver and mechanic. However, in May he was ordered to the front, to a defensive position among the trees at Welyka Nowosilka.

There have been two days without hostilities in the past week, Anatoly told the Wall Street Journal. “Then a violent attack began.” The fight itself was completely chaotic. “I tried to see the enemy between artillery fire and mortar fire in the field ahead. But I saw no one.”

Just a few minutes later, Ukrainian troops reached his position, Anatoly said. They threw grenades into the trenches and killed his comrades, including his close friend Georgi. “I ran out of the trenches screaming, ‘I surrender, I surrender!'” the soldier recalled.

Anton from St. Petersburg is also among the prisoners of war interviewed by the Wall Street Journal. The Russian paramilitary group “Storm Z” recruited him from prison for the war. He said he was serving a prison sentence for selling drugs. It was said that he had been promised an exemption from his sentence for six months of military service.

Shortly after his recruitment, however, he realized that his life was worth nothing to the army commanders. According to him, his unit, which consisted of many recruited prisoners, was not allowed to retreat. If he had not followed this order, he would have been shot by the “Zagradotryad” – that’s what the bloc troops in the Russian army are called, who are supposed to use force to prevent the withdrawal of their own units if necessary.

Last week he was injured near Welyka Nowosilka. Bullets hit him in the leg and arm. He and other wounded then shouted to the advancing Ukrainian troops to surrender: “If we retreat, they will shoot us,” Anton told the Wall Street Journal.

“Morale is pretty low,” Dmitri also reported. He comes from the Far East, that part of Russia that borders the Pacific Ocean. They were barely prepared for the fight: “We only learned a short shooting training and the basics of first aid,” he said. He was then ordered to defend the small settlement of Staromajorske, south of Welyka Nowosilka, with his unit.

According to the Wall Street Journal, he spoke in a shaky voice about the moment his unit came under Ukrainian fire: “They were shooting at us with tanks, mortars and artillery.” Then he panicked. Together with a comrade, he stepped out of the trenches with his hands raised and surrendered.

Dmitri is especially afraid of a possible prisoner exchange. He was not sure how the Russian secret service FSB would treat him. “If given the chance, I will refuse to be traded,” he said.

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