In a significant setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, hundreds of Russian soldiers have switched sides to join Ukraine, bypassing the efforts of the Kremlin to prevent such defections.
The soldiers, including Lieutenant Daniil Alfyorov, openly denounced Russia’s illegal invasion while sitting between Ukrainian military intelligence officers in Kyiv.
Alfyorov, aged 27, played a role in facilitating the defection of 11 soldiers under his command in Kherson.
The “I want to live” hotline, established by Ukraine’s military intelligence in September 2022, has played a crucial role in convincing Russian troops to defect.
Referred to as Operation Barynya, this initiative has not only provided Ukraine with valuable battlefield intelligence but has also seen over 220 Russian soldiers defecting through the hotline.
An additional 1,000 cases are reportedly pending, according to Vitaliy Matvienko, spokesperson for the GUR department for prisoners of war.
The hotline, operational 24/7, receives around three Russian soldiers handing themselves over to Ukrainian custody each week. More than 26,000 calls have been made to the hotline and its accompanying chatbot on the Telegram messenger.
The hotline operators, based in a secret location in Kyiv, provide reassurance to Russian soldiers concerned about Kremlin-propagated misinformation regarding Ukraine being a “neo-Nazi regime”.
Ukraine guarantees these defected soldiers humane treatment in line with the Geneva Conventions, including medical care, three daily meals, communication with their families, and the possibility of exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war or returning home to Russia.
Asylum applications in Ukraine are also an option, with a notable increase from 1,500 in December 2022 to nearly 3,000 in March 2023.
Western estimates suggest that Russia has suffered approximately 100,000 more deaths and injuries compared to Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.
