A Russian soldier has allegedly surrendered himself and his T-72B3 battle tank over to Ukrainian troops in return for a $10,000 reward and an opportunity at Ukrainian citizenship, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday.
The soldier made the move after two of his tank crewmates escaped back home and his commanding officer threatened to shoot him.
Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Victor Andrusiv said the Russian soldier had gotten in touch with Ukraine's national police by phone and arranged a place to meet, explaining that Kyiv has regularly sent SMS over the phone about how to surrender and hand over equipment.
The soldier said there was almost no food left, that the Russian military management of the war is chaotic and that demoralization is widespread among the troops, according to Andrusiv.
The minister added that the Ukrainian military chose a place for the soldier to surrender and used a drone to make sure his action wasn't actually an ambush by Russian forces.
The New York Post pointed out that the minister’s story has not been independently verified, and he did not give the exact date or the location where the surrender allegedly took place.
Andrusiv said that the Russian soldier will spend the rest of the war as a prisoner in "comfortable conditions with a TV, phone, kitchen and shower," according to the Daily Mail.
NATO estimated last week that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Moscow invaded Ukraine a month ago, the New York Post reported.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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