- James Wasserhaus
- BBC correspondent in Ukraine
5 hours before
caption,More than 3,500 Russian soldiers and their families contacted the team, Ukraine says
A new system created to help Russian soldiers who want to surrender receives up to 100 requests a day, according to the Ukrainian government.
The project “I Want To Live” (“Eu Quero Viver”, in free translation into Portuguese) was launched in September.
By calling a hotline or sending the data through messaging apps, Russian soldiers are being advised on the best way to surrender to Ukrainian forces.
Officials in Kyiv say they have received more than 3,500 contacts from the invaders, as well as their families.
Demand for the service has surged in recent months, as Russian President Vladimir Putin mobilized hundreds of thousands of Russian men for the war and since the city of Kherson was liberated from Moscow control.
The BBC received recordings of some telephone conversations.
As the dark corridors suggest, the headquarters of Ukraine’s prisoner of war treatment service is not immune to the power outages that plague the country.
In a small office we meet Svitlana (not her real name), a Ukrainian employee who speaks to Russian soldiers on a daily basis.
You can get in touch over the phone or through most messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp.
She explains that the nights are busier, as soldiers then have more free time, can escape the supervisors’ supervision and make a phone call.
“Usually we hear a male voice,” she explains. “Often it’s kind of desperate, kind of frustrated because they don’t quite understand how the hotline works or if it’s just a setup.”
“There is also curiosity because many are demanding not to give up, but to find out how they could if necessary. It’s different every time.”
caption,
The BBC has access to some conversations with Russian soldiers
Svitlana is not allowed to tell us how many Russians she helped and exactly how it happened. The military will only be instructed to share the location before receiving further instructions.
Some Russian soldiers are also coming forward to provoke, Svitlana reports, although she doesn’t think everyone believes the Kremlin’s unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine is Naziruled.
“We can’t judge an entire country,” he says. “Most are worried about their lives.”
Svitlana also remembers the call from a man who lived in occupied Crimea and was mobilized to fight against his own family and country.
Apparently Moscow has now blocked Ukrainian service numbers within Russia. Chip calls from the UK or Russia started hearing an error message.
caption,
Project officials say every interaction is different
“Ask yourself the following question: What are you fighting for?” asks the dramatic voiceover in the propaganda video for the “I Want to Live” project, which is aimed at Russian soldiers.
Explosions appear in sync with moody music. There are footage of Russian soldiers apparently surrendering before two phone numbers are shown at the end.
They are even instructed to wave a white flag if they are too close to the front lines.
This is, of course, part of the information war and shows the anatomy of Ukraine’s attempts to undermine Russian morale.
Pictures of Ukrainian prisoners of war hang on the walls of Svitlana’s office. All are believed to be alive, and this hotline is critical to Kiev’s efforts to bring them home.
Once they surrender, Russian POWs can be used as currency in future exchanges.
The Kremlin is also conducting more POW exchanges to appease critics in Russia, according to the US Institute for War Studies.
Both sides are believed to have thousands of POWs, but the exact numbers are unclear.
caption,
Vitalii Matviyenko, who directs the project, says the goal is to save the lives of those who surrender.
“Above all, we want to address the partially mobilized people, who not only can’t fight but also serve as cannon fodder,” says Vitalii Matviyenko, who heads the Ukrainian service.
“This project was created so that if these individuals surrender voluntarily, their lives would be guaranteed.”
For Ukraine, outnumbered in the clash, the effort is expected to also demobilize the invaders’ forces.
Additional reporting from Daria Sipigina, Hanna Choronous and Moose Campbell.