AFU serviceman surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces to meet his family in Kursk

Ruslan Sychevskyy, a soldier of the 17th Tank Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), has surrendered to the Russian army to meet his family in Kursk. The video appeared in the possession of Izvestia on December 3.

The soldier shared that employees of the territorial manning center (TCC, the analog of the military recruitment office in Ukraine) caught him on a Kharkiv street in August. Two months later, he found himself on the territory of Kursk region.

Sychevsky said that he lived in Kharkiv with his mother, while his father, sister and two brothers are in Kursk. At the first opportunity, the soldier got out of the dugout and made his way to the Russian Army positions without weapons.

"All I was guided by was love for my family. I sincerely clearly understand that I made absolutely the right choice. I approached the Marines of the 810th Brigade without weapons and informed them that my father lives in Kursk. <...> I was asked to help shoot <...> to the side. In gratitude for humanity and understanding, I could not refuse," he shared.

He spent 10 days at the Marines' positions and was surprised that they treated him as an equal.

Sychevsky said he decided to stay in Russia and meet with his family upon his release from captivity. He urged his fellow soldiers to shoot at cruel commanders and return home.

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Earlier, on November 29, Ukrainian prisoner Alexander Petukhov shared that representatives of the TCC intimidated and threatened him. According to him, the command intimidated the soldiers that when they abandoned their positions, no one would pick them up and take them out. According to him, only the seriously wounded were taken away from the firing position, and there was practically no rotation.

The AFU attacked Russian positions in the border areas of Kursk Region on August 6. The situation in the region was recognized as a federal emergency. The operation to destroy the militants continues.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.