The captured fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoke about the mobilization for the New Year

A captured militant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Vitaly Topchiyenko, told how he was mobilized right on the street on January 1, 2025 and drafted, despite chronic illnesses. He shared his story with Izvestia on March 23.

"He served in the third Lugansk border post. On January 1, 2025, I was illegally "packed up" on the street by police officers and the shopping mall (territorial recruitment center, analogues of the military enlistment office in Ukraine. — Ed.). After I was taken to the military enlistment office, I passed a medical examination very quickly, where they ignored my chronic illnesses and stamped me "Fit," he recalled.

After that, Topchiyenko was sent to a training center, where, according to him, all the training took place according to the training manual.

"I didn't take anything useful for myself from this study. After that, we were sent to the Kharkiv region <...> Upon arrival at the position, we saw that there were no trenches, nothing," he added.

Six days later, the militant positions were attacked by Russian drones. Then Topchienko decided to surrender.

"I surrendered, and I was well received, fed, and watered," he said.

In turn, another Ukrainian prisoner of war, Pavel Atamanyuk, said that for health reasons, he first went to a warehouse and then to a repair battalion, but eventually ended up on the front line.

"I didn't go through any exercises, I was put in charge of a warehouse, where I gave out things and tools. <...> Then two of us were taken to the positions, they said it was quiet, calm, you would repair the dugouts, then they would pick you up. But as it turned out, we were deceived as always," he shared.

"The fighting spirit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has already been broken, it will not be easy to come to your senses from such a defeat"

Commander of the Akhmat Aid special forces detachment — about the success of Operation Potok and the tactics of the assault groups

A day earlier, a captured soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Golubchenko, said that he had not undergone any combat training before being sent to the Kursk region. He added that the commanders controlled the AFU unit in the Kursk border area using radio. He had never seen the officers themselves there.