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Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, read out before the General Assembly messages sent by a Russian soldier to his mother before he died. The messages show that some Russian soldiers arrived deceived.
“Mom, I’m no longer in Crimea. I’m no longer doing training maneuvers,” Kyslytsya read out. “Where are you, what happened?” the mother asked.
“Mama, I’m in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I’m afraid. We are bombing all of the cities… even targeting civilians,” the soldier added.
“They told us they would welcome us [in Ukraine],” the soldier wrote. “But they are throwing themselves in front of our tanks. Throwing themselves under the wheels so that we can’t go any further. They call us fascists. Mom, this is very hard,” he wrote.
The message read by the Ukrainian ambassador is not the only one that shows how Russia is sending very young soldiers to war and that it also deceived them.
Last Thursday, February 24, Russian Natalya Deineka learned that her 19-year-old son was a prisoner of war in Ukraine.
In an interview with BBC Russia, Natalya claimed that her son, who is a combat engineer in the 4th Guards Tank Division, did not know that he would be sent to fight in the invasion of Ukraine.
“He didn’t know they would be taken there. They found out when they arrived,” he said.
The last time Natalia spoke to Rafik was on February 23, when he told her that his division was near the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine offers reward to Russian soldiers who lay down their arms
This Monday, February 28, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry issued a statement in which it offered Russian soldiers invading the country to lay down their arms in exchange for a full amnesty and 5 million rubles in compensation.
The initiative unveiled today is part of a plan organized by the Kyiv government and large technology companies that are providing the funds to make this possible, as explained by Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
“In four days, Russian occupation forces have lost more than 5,300 people between dead and wounded. Hundreds of enemy soldiers and officers are in our captivity. Many of them are very young. The Kremlin is turning them into criminals, into murderers,” he said.
“Some of the soldiers have been deceived, others have been induced by propaganda. In general, you can see that the motivation of most of them is low. It becomes absolutely insignificant when they meet our heroic defenders and defenders. And they feel the strength of the Ukrainian armor,” the minister said.
“I am appealing to Russian soldiers and officers. They have brought you to our land to kill and die. Those who do not want to become murderers and die can save themselves. Do not follow the criminal orders of those who have lied to you for years about Ukraine and Ukrainians. We guarantee you a full amnesty and monetary compensation if you lay down your arms voluntarily. Ukraine is a civilized country. All prisoners are safe and are being assisted. They are already communicating with their loved ones. You have a chance to start a new life. For those who continue to behave like an occupier, there will be no mercy,” Reznikov concluded.
Sabrina Martín Rondon is a Venezuelan journalist. Her source is politics and economics. She is a specialist in corporate communications and is committed to the task of dismantling the supposed benefits of socialism // Sabrina Martín Rondon es periodista venezolana. Su fuente es la política y economía. Es especialista en comunicaciones corporativas y se ha comprometido con la tarea de desmontar las supuestas bondades del socialismo