Ukraine war: Russian soldiers are said to be able to surrender to drones

Instructional video published
Surrender Instructions: Russian soldiers should be able to surrender to Ukrainian drones

It is an open secret that morale among the invaders is anything but good after ten months of war. The Ukrainians want to make it easy for potential deserters – with flying support.

Whether scouting, killing or sending messages. Drones have become an integral part of modern warfare. Recently, the flying all-rounders are apparently also supposed to serve as doves of peace. The instructions are easy to read: call, set up a meeting, follow instructions, surrender. According to video instructions, Russian soldiers are supposed to capitulate. The highlight of the matter: A drone is supposed to lead the enemy safely to captivity.

The use of the mechanical surrender helpers is part of the “I want to live” hotline, which is intended to make it easy for Russian soldiers to lay down their arms at any time without endangering themselves. The Ukrainian army published a corresponding instructional video on social media earlier this week. In it, a narrator explains step by step in Russian how enemy fighters can safely go into captivity.

Three men in uniform with white armbands demonstrate the process in a ditch in the middle of a snowy landscape. First, the spokesman said, the soldiers should dial the “I want to live” hotline to arrange a time and place for the meeting. Because of the short flight time of drones, the video says, “the accuracy and punctuality of arrival is crucial.”

Drone to escort Russians into captivity

On site they should wait for the arrival of the quadrocopter, which will give them further instructions. “Once you have the drone in view, make eye contact with it,” the spokesman said. The soldiers should then raise their arms to signal that they are ready to follow the drone. The drone then hovers up and down a few meters before leading the soldiers at walking pace to the waiting Ukrainians. In the video clip, the “Russians” end up lying face down on the ground while being searched by Ukrainian soldiers. “Save more lives,” says the narrator at the end of the video, urging Russian viewers to spread the video.

At the end of November, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted a video on Twitter, intended to show a Russian soldier surrendering to drone instructions. Whether the recording is authentic cannot be verified. On the other hand, the Russian military leadership also claims to have used drones to capture Ukrainian soldiers. According to Statement from the state news agency Tass should they send surrender calls via SMS.

Thousands of Russians are said to have already made contact

Since the beginning of the war, both parties have been extremely creative in persuading the other side to surrender – be it through artillery or airdrop leaflets, social media campaigns or countless radio and television reports.

The Ukrainian military leadership launched the “I want to live” project in response to the partial Russian mobilization in September, when Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin forcibly recruited around 300,000 people. In addition to a telephone hotline, Russian combatants and their families should also be able to find out about safe surrender options via a website and a telegram channel.

According to Ukrainian information, thousands of Russians have already made specific inquiries. This cannot be independently confirmed. An employee of the Ukrainian secret service is said to have spoken to the “New York Times” of 1.2 million general inquiries.

in one Interview with the Ukrainian newspaper “Kyviv Post” Project spokesman Vitaly Matvienko claimed that forced conscripts could even use the hotline before they were even sent to Ukraine. “Ukrainians treat the prisoners who surrender according to the Geneva Conventions, do not torture anyone, do not mutilate anyone and provide comfortable conditions, with three meals a day and medical care if necessary,” Matvienko said.

Sources: “Business Insider“; “New York Times“; “Ukraine Pravda“