Kathrine Frich
Across the front lines of the war in Ukraine, stories from captured soldiers reveal the chaos and fear gripping both sides.
Many prisoners of war describe confusion, misinformation, and desperation as battles stretch into their third year.
One Russian serviceman now claims his own superiors tried to kill him before he was taken in by Ukrainian troops.
A soldier’s account
As reported by the Polish news outlet Interia, 25-year-old Russian soldier Danilo Bukarev was captured by Ukraine’s 110th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade after being attacked, he says, by his own commanders.
A video of his interrogation, which appeared online, shows him recounting the events that led to his surrender near the town of Yampol in the Donetsk region.
Bukarev told interrogators that he joined the war to shorten his prison sentence.
After a brief period of training, he was deployed to the front line and assigned a mission with four other men. Their task, he said, was to enter Yampol using motorcycles.
“We were supposed to break into the city on motorcycles. Only I and the driver made it,” Bukarev recalled.
Turned on by his own side
According to Bukarev, once they reached the city, his group came under artillery fire from Russian positions.
He alleged that the bombardment was deliberate, meant to prevent soldiers from surrendering.
“The goal was to prevent surrender,” he said.
After the attack ended, the 25-year-old chose to surrender to the Ukrainian forces operating in the area.
Troops from the 110th Brigade reportedly treated his injuries and gave him food and water.
“Ukrainians saved my life,” Bukarev said in the recording. “They gave me medical help, food and drink.”
Unpaid and disillusioned
Bukarev also claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense had not honored its financial promises.
Despite signing a contract that was supposed to grant him regular wages, he said he never received payment.
In his final remarks, Bukarev addressed other Russians directly, urging them not to take part in the conflict.
“Don’t believe the media propaganda and don’t get involved in the war with Ukraine,” he said.
His account, shared widely on social media, adds to a growing number of reports describing internal mistrust and low morale among Russian forces as the fighting in eastern Ukraine continues.
Sources: WP, Interia, social media recordings.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
