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A group of Russian separatists revolted after their commanders left them on the front lines “in hunger and cold.”
Since Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, numerous stories have surfaced about the surrender of heavily recruited troops.
New footage published in the Telegram shows an entire battalion claiming to be the 113th Rifle Regiment of the Donetsk People’s Republic in the midst of a riot.
The group of men lined up as their commander read a statement on behalf of them all.
He said they were located in the Kherson region of eastern Ukraine, a strategically important area where there has been intense fighting recently.
He claims that his people had to “overcome the cold and hunger for a significant period of time without material support, medical supplies or food” while in the port city.
An unnamed soldier went on to say that his fighters had been recruited “without medical examinations”, meaning that there were people with chronic illnesses who “should not have been mobilized”.
The same goes for those “who are guardians of people with mental illness.”
Most of Kherson region is under Russian occupation (Photo: AP) There is still a pro-Ukrainian presence in Kherson, “which leaves residents unsettled every day” (Photo: Getty)
But when troops address these issues and complaints to high command, they are reportedly “ignored and interpreted as sabotage.”
The commander said: “Show respect to your officers. What can be gained from sending your soldiers to die?
Each fighter wore a piece of white cloth tied around part of their uniform – presumably to act as a signal for a “white flag” to surrender.
Earlier, Ukraine promised Russian mothers that they would be allowed to come and pick up their sons – unharmed – from Kyiv.
More: Russia
But it is unclear how the surrender will work for these men, as most of Kherson is under Russian occupation.
However, pro-Ukrainian rebels are operating in the area with threats and Ukrainian flags posted on social media and hung on telephone poles, trees and walls.
A poster read: “The Russian occupiers and all those who support them. We are close, we are already working in Kherson. Death awaits you all!
Kherson district administration adviser Sergei Hlan said: “This is a local guerrilla resistance. This makes residents worry every day, reminding them of the fact that Kherson is Ukraine.
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