Main points
- Russian soldiers often return to the front after prisoner exchanges.
- Most Russians go to war because of financial hardship, not because of patriotism or ideology.
Russian soldiers who return from captivity after an exchange often end up back at the front instead of the expected rest. Moreover, the motivation of Russian soldiers is mostly economic.
Vadym Karpyak, a spokesman for the 8th Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, explained to Channel 24 that Russian fighters in captivity tell typical stories about life's failures, not about ideology or patriotism.
What pushes Russians to go to war?
According to Karpyak, the Russian soldier, who was captured for the second time, was disappointed that instead of the promised leave, he was sent back to the army.
He was sent first to talk to counterintelligence officers, and then back to the training camp and storm the landings. And in general, if you listen to the prisoners, it's a familiar story. It's very rare to find truly ideological people among them. The ideological people of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were exterminated back in 2023,
– the soldier explained.
Therefore, most Russians join the army because of debts and financial difficulties.
A typical situation is when a man borrowed money, couldn't repay the debt, so he was forced to join the army. His wife tried to get him a job in a warehouse through an acquaintance at the military registration and enlistment office, but instead of a warehouse, he went to storm positions in the Sumy region. And it turned out that the “benefactor” from the military registration and enlistment office was his wife's lover.
“They repent, they cry that they didn't know and hoped to serve time. There's no mention of the “Russian world” or Orthodoxy,” Karpyak said.
Important! The 8th Corps is raising funds for drone interceptors and fiber optic for unmanned systems, which are critical assets for modern warfare. These assets provide attack and defense to our troops from enemy drones, and both systems are critical to defense. Any contribution, no matter how small, is of great importance to the Corps. Donations can be made through this appeal.
What else is known about the Russians who surrendered?
Ukrainian marines captured 4 Russian paratroopers from the 331st and 217th regiments of the 98th Parachute Division on the left bank of the Dnieper River after storming Ukrainian positions. The Russian soldiers decided to surrender, using instructions transmitted to them through loudspeakers from Ukrainian drones, and were then evacuated to the right bank of the river.
One of the prisoners said that he had lost his weapon while crossing the Konka River, but the command ordered him to continue the attack with just a sapper shovel, which indicates the cruelty of the orders.