Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
“I am in fact a soldier, just not Russian.”
An unexpected disruption during a university meeting in southern Russia has drawn attention after a mysterious figure appeared on screen.
Multiple international outlets cite the independent Russian outlet Astra, reporting that the incident occurred on April 23 at Kuban Agricultural University in Krasnodar. Students had gathered for a presentation about recruitment into Russian drone units.
During the session, a participant using the name “Szulc” joined the video call and was initially introduced as a Russian soldier. The individual then claimed to be something else.
“I’m a soldier, but not a Russian one — a Ukrainian one. I want to say: God forbid you end up here, or I’ll have to kill you. Anyone who signs the contract,” the speaker said, adding that attendees’ faces had been recorded.
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Call cut short
Organizers quickly ended the connection following the remarks. Astra reported that it had confirmed the authenticity of the footage with students present at the meeting.
“We thought it would be just a simple chat about contracts, but it turned out to be a joke,” one student said.
A Russian independent outlet reported that a Ukrainian military unit had learned about the event in advance and allegedly gained access by posing as a volunteer group assisting Russian forces.
Recruitment details
Before the interruption, Captain Oleg Fyodorovich from the Krasnodar military commissariat addressed the audience, explaining enlistment procedures for drone-related units.
He outlined salaries and benefits and said recruits would return home after one year of service. However, Astra noted that Russia’s Defense Ministry has stated that there are no separate contracts specifically for unmanned units.
Similar incidents
A similar incident was reported on April 20, according to the same Russian outlet. Ukrainian hackers allegedly accessed a closed meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
During that disruption, they reportedly mocked Russia’s reliance on Chinese-made electronics used in drones and directed insults at participants.
Sources: Astra, Russian independent media, The Telegraph, O2.pl, Visegrad24 on X
