Jakarta –
The Ukrainian government claims a call service or hotline made especially for Russian soldiers wishing to surrender, it received over 100 requests in one day.
The “I want to live” project started in September.
By dialing the special telephone number (hotline) or log in via messaging apps, Russian troops can arrange the best way to surrender to Ukrainian troops.
Officials in Kiev say they have been in contact with more than 3,500 Russian soldiers and their families.
Contacts with this telephone service have increased since Russian President Vladimir Putin conscripted hundreds of thousands of its citizens for military service and since the city of Kherson was liberated.
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The BBC has shared recordings of some of the calls made to this hotline.
BBC
The POW treatment headquarters in Ukraine is not immune to the power outages plaguing the country.
In a small office we met Svitlana – a fictitious name – an operator who spoke to the Russian soldiers every day.
Russian soldiers can contact the service hotline over the phone or mainly via messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
He explained that night was the busiest time. At that time, the Russian troops had more free time, they could sneak out and make calls.
“First of all, we hear voices, mostly males,” she explains.
“Often some are desperate, others are frustrated because they don’t really understand how things work hotline this, or wondering if this is just a trick.
“There’s also curiosity because many of the calls are not made for surrender consultations, but to find out how they can surrender if necessary. It’s so different every time.”
BBCBBC has access to view a number of calls to this hotline.
Svitlana was not allowed to tell us how many Russian troops were assisted, or exactly how it happened. He was only asked to share his location before receiving further instructions.
Some Russian soldiers also provoked the hotline team, he said. Although according to Svitlana not everyone believes the Kremlin’s unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine was run by the Nazi government.
“We can’t judge everything,” he said. “Most of them are worried about their lives.”
Svitlana also recalled a call from a man who lived in Crimea – Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory – and had been mobilized against his family and his own country.
It appears that Moscow has now blocked this hotline phone number from being contacted from within Russia. Calls from UK or Russian SIM cards will be accepted with an error message.
BBC employees working on the I Want To Live project say each call has a different problem.
“Ask yourself: what are you fighting for?” says a dramatic voice-over in the “I Want To Live” Ukrainian propaganda video directed at Russian soldiers.
The explosions then appear in sync with the powerful background music, and there is an image of Russian soldiers surrendering before finally two phone numbers appear.
They were even told to raise the white flag if they got too close to the battlefront.
This is, of course, part of information warfare. Ukrainians attempt to undermine Russian morale.
On the wall of Svitlana’s office are photos of Ukrainian prisoners of war. They are all believed to be alive and the hotline is at the heart of Kyiv’s efforts to bring them home.
Once surrendered, Russian fortress POWs could be used as something valuable for future prisoner exchanges.
According to the Institute for War Studies, the Kremlin has also exchanged more POWs to appease critics from within Russia.
It is estimated that there were thousands of POWs on both sides, but the exact number is unclear.
The BBC’s Vitalii Matviyenko, who directs I Want To Live, says the project was created to save the souls of those who have surrendered.
“We want to especially target the mobilized part of the Russian army, which is not only unable to fight, but is thrown into battle like cannon fodder,” said Vitalii Matviyenko, head of I Want To Live.
“This project was created so that their lives would be guaranteed if they voluntarily surrendered.”
For the outnumbered Ukrainian troops, service hotline this should also weaken the opponent who has more power.
Additional coverage by Daria Sipigina, Hanna Chornous And Elk Campbell.
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