Mass surrender of Russian soldiers in Kursk region: over 1,000 captured in five days
According to various estimates, Ukrainian forces have managed to capture around 1,000 Russian soldiers in the Kursk region, many of whom are conscripts with little to no combat experience who are surrendering almost immediately. The advance of the Ukrainian army deeper into the Kursk area continues, leading to a significant number of Russian soldiers surrendering en masse. A new video has been released online showing captured Russian soldiers being loaded into a military "Ural" truck.
Ukrainian military personnel acknowledge that the unexpectedly high number of captives has created logistical challenges. No one in Kyiv anticipated that the occupiers would not put up proper resistance and would instead try to raise the white flag as quickly as possible. All these prisoners need to be transported to Ukrainian camps for later exchange, stretching logistical capabilities to their limits.
According to Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko, the majority of those surrendering without a fight are conscript soldiers from Russia. Ukrainian Forces must document, film, and then transport these POWs to camps in Ukraine. The sheer number of surrenders has pushed the logistics network to its limits. Recently, footage from the Kursk region showed "Akhmat" fighters as prisoners. Despite orders from Kadyrov not to surrender, these fighters attempted to hide in the forests but were eventually captured by Ukrainian defenders. Kadyrov's fighters, like the conscripts, were not eager to die for Putin and thus chose captivity.
Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin reports that the scale of surrender by Russian soldiers in the Kursk region is overwhelming, with all events documented, including video evidence. "This is an unprecedented disgrace in the history of Putin's Russia,” says Osechkin.