Ukrainian ambassador says Russian platoon surrendered to Ukrainian forces

[mysteryowl]

Source: The Hill

Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said Thursday that a platoon of Russian soldiers surrendered to the Ukrainian military, saying they "didn't know that they were brought to Ukraine to kill Ukrainians."

At a press briefing, Markarova said, "Just before I came here, we got information from our chief commander that one of the platoons of the 74th motorized brigade from Kemerovo Oblast surrendered."

"They didn't know that they were brought to Ukraine to kill Ukrainians. They thought they were doing something else there," she added.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/international/595728-ukrainian-ambassador-says-russian-platoon-surrendered-to-ukrainian

---

I was wondering what the people in the Russian military were going through with this.
So, at least some of them, had no idea what their mission was. Their media keeps them mis-informed and un-informed.

[msongs]

1. well duh what else do think they are doing there? nt

[mysteryowl]

3. The Russian media is full of propaganda and lies.

I believe they did not know.

[Traildogbob]

11. You are so right

Imagine the ONLY info you ever got was Fox, Alex Jones and Steve Bannon. Look how many weak minded people here bought it all, with tons of opposing media outlets available. A Nation of Jim Jones’s believing it all. Willing to die and take their kids with them.

[mysteryowl]

12. Exactly. Plus, when one is a soldier your time is not spent watching/reading media.

Last edited Thu Feb 24, 2022, 08:14 PM - Edit history (1)

[SmittyWerben]

28. Truth

I was on the ground during the beginning of the Gulf war in 1991. We had no idea what was going on outside our battalion area of responsibility. Today there are more options and certainly more in the towns of Ukraine, but these troops may not have been told at all what they were doing beyond military exercises.

[DENVERPOPS]

23. I truly fear

what Putin would do, if suddenly, large numbers of his troops deserted because of Putin's horrific invasion.
They go across the border on a military maneuver, throw down their weapons, take off their uniforms, and just keep walking into Ukraine.........

[Rebl2]

24. True!

They should agree to fight with the Ukrainian army against the Russians. Doubt it will happen though.

[Lovie777]

4. Got me ......

[COL Mustard]

9. These are mainly 18 year old farm kids who don't have any interest in being there.

I doubt they'll desert or anything, because they ARE a long way from home, but I also doubt if they will be very enthusiastic about their mission. This ain't WWII and Zelenskyy ain't the Nazis no matter what Pootin says.

[Doremus]

14. Yes, and from what I read, they were beaten and forced into service.

The one photo I saw of a burned out Russian tank had the training manual of a new recruit on the ground.

[COL Mustard]

17. It used to be particularly brutal

Conscripts were drafted for two year terms and there were two drafts a year. The first six months you were better off in prison. The second year you were like the warden.

Their reenlistment officers have a very hard job. Nobody wants to stay in that kind of Army (well, very few).

[SunSeeker]

42. And there is rampant alcoholism among Russian forces.

As there is among the Russian populace. It is how they cope with their misery.

[dchill]

26. Pee skeeping.

[MontanaMama]

33. Well played.

[mainer]

2. They need asylum

If they go back to Russia, they’re toast.

[mysteryowl]

5. Yeah, probably.

[tanyev]

6. Whoa. This could get interesting.

[padah513]

7. If it is true, absolutely

And I certainly hope it is

[mysteryowl]

8. History tells us this happens in every war.

[2naSalit]

10. ...

[texasfiddler]

13. What is sad. Putin does not give a shit about those Russian soldiers on a human level.

I think the Ukranian people have the resolve. Can Russian Propaganda sustain the resolve of its forces on the ground? That will be the ultimate question.

[mysteryowl]

15. It could be a guerilla warfare situation that Ukraine inflicts.

I heard on the radio a Ukrainian politician being interviewed. He said he is not a solider, but has an AK47 and will use it to defend his family and country.

[wnylib]

37. I heard a report on NPR that there

are groups of Ukranians who have been training for uprisings if Russia gains control of the country.

[mysteryowl]

38. Sounds right.

[summer_in_TX]

40. According to Russian-American journalist Julie Ioffe, that's true.

She was on Stephen Colbert's show tonight and says that our military have taken lessons learned by how Iraqis resisted the U.S. after our invasion and ensured that Ukrainians were trained in the successful tactics that made our continuing occupation of Iraq untenable.

[Doremus]

16. Can't have a war without soldiers to do the dirty work of the oligarchs.

Russian military should lay down their weapons and surrender. What would the rich old fucks do then?

[Bev54]

18. That is what they need more of when they discover the true reason for their invasion.

[JI7]

19. Most Russians don't support the war or Putin

[Lonestarblue]

20. Perhaps the Ukrainian military should use megaphones to announce .

that they do not want to fight Russia or Russian soldiers and ask then to throw down their arms. It’s Putin’s war, and no one else’s.

[BlueWavePsych]

44. +1

[blue-wave]

21. The cracks are already showing

Putin has made a huge mistake with this coldly calculated war. It's not going well on the battlefronts either. When the bodybags come home to Russia, people will be outraged.

And that closeness between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples Putin tried twisting into something distorted, ultimately it truly means Russians and Ukrainians don't want to kill each other. We may see more defections from the Russian military.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. The lesson cited in the Russian Revolution to explain the Bolshevik victory

is that the military came around to their side. Isn't this a development.

[dchill]

25. Not a good look, Vlad!

[Skittles]

27. I hope they are treated well

yes indeed

[paleotn]

29. Like soldiers everywhere. They didn't want this shit either.

[patphil]

30. The first casualty of war is truth.

[mysteryowl]

31. That is profound

[patphil]

32. It's an old saying...been around for centuries.

[IronLionZion]

34. Iraq WMDs, Gulf of Tonkin for Vietnam

Many Americans enlisted after 9/11 thinking they would be fighting terrorism not invade a completely unrelated country.

[EndlessWire]

35. They are hereby awarded the UHA!

Free vodka, excellent Lithuanian rum, free pizza, and a stipend to go with a plot of land. Welcome to Ukraine, Bros!

[SammyBrown]

36. Trojan horse

I pray they are not faking.

[Slammer]

39. captured

MSNBC this evening reported that a downed Russian flier said he had no idea which country he was flying sorties against. (I find that more difficult to believe of pilots than infantry units. But I suppose it's possible they thought they were going against separatists in Chechnya or Muslims in Georgia.)

And he also reported that his unit had no food.

Of course that's probably coming through Ukrainian sources, at best, even if the pilot was telling the truth. But it's still interesting.

I'd wondered how easily Russia was feeding its troops when none of them were in their regular spots.

[Aristus]

43. They were there to maintain law and order and protect private property.

[liberalla]

45. Bookmarking - K&R