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A new Ukrainian hotline set up to allow for Russian soldiers to surrender has already been utilized thousands of times.
Andriy Yusov, representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, told Ukraine's FREEDOM TV that the "I Want to Live" program is part of the public domain and includes an algorithm designed for enemy fighters to give up in peace.
"This is a white flag, this is a weapon that is discarded, this is open hands," Yusov said, according to a YouTube translation. "This is, in general, that simple set of gestures and symbols that shows the absence of aggressive intentions."
When asked by a TV anchor if the number of Russians calling to surrender is in the "tens of thousands," Yusov said the hotline is still in its infancy but the amount is "tangible."
He added that requests spiked due to success in the Kharkiv region as part of Ukraine's counteroffensive, in addition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's conscription of hundreds of thousands of soldiers as part of mobilization.
Mobilizations have gotten off to a rocky start amid reports that Russians are intentionally breaking their friends' limbs with consent to avoid service. Some males being conscripted include students and men in their 60s.
Other reports indicate that over 370,000 citizens have already fled Russia, just as Putin and his generals expected about 300,000 men to fight.
Citizens have sought refuge in countries like Georgia, Finland, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Kazak Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov said in a statement on Tuesday that more than 200,000 Russians have entered the country since the decree was made.
"We started getting phone calls, not just from soldiers who were on the territory of Ukraine as part of the occupation army, but also those who had just been mobilized and were still on the territory of the Russian Federation—or their relatives, or even people who suspected that they might be mobilized and were checking just in case," he said. "In a few weeks, we have already [received] more than 2,000 such requests."
Ukraine follows democratic laws and the Geneva Conventions, unlike Russia, Akhmetzhanov said. The United Nations, along with other humanitarian organizations, will be notified of where Russian prisoners of war—whom Yusov said are being clothed and fed—are kept.
The hotline includes dealing with citizens of Ukraine who might be from Crimea but could potentially be mobilized by Russia to fight against fellow Ukrainians due to a lack of clarity regarding passports. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and maintains that it owns the territory.
"We are a civilized country and the whole world sees it today....I Want to Live privately gives answers to these questions, so this is a normal guarantee to save lives—to not be cannon fodder, to preserve dignity and not take part in war crimes," Yusov said. "Therefore, the project saves lives of Russian soldiers, unlike their command which very often leaves them to their fate."
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that residents of the newly annexed regions who are currently abroad have one month to either accept or reject Russian citizenship.
Ukrainian spokesman Vitaliy Matviyenko told The Daily Express on Monday that those utilizing the hotline have included servicemen, as well as relatives "who want their sons and husbands to stay alive."
"Among other things, we are talking about three meals a day, medical care, and the opportunity to contact relatives," Matviyenko said. "The only chance to avoid death in Ukraine is to surrender."
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
About the writer
Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek investigative reporter based in Michigan. His focus includes U.S. and international politics and policies, immigration, ... Read more