The Kremlin strongman has now realized that the Russian soldiers are tired of fighting, their morale is low, the new recruits are not properly trained and the tanks and weapons they have are not enough and most of them are old technology. Vladimir Putin also declared a second conscription. In any case, the first one was not crowned with success.
Recall that on September 21, Putin declared partial mobilization, calling up up to 300,000 reservists in a dramatic effort to reverse Russia’s defeats in Ukraine, including the withdrawal of Russian forces in the northeastern region of Kharkiv.
Then hearing the news that the Moscow government was conscripting thousands of Russians, many who did not want to dress in “khaki” to fight on the Ukrainian front, emigrated to escape.
Now, however, things are even more difficult and with the cold making the offensive movements of the Russian soldiers even more problematic, mainly in the south-east of Ukraine. Russian troops are retreating with the Ukrainians regaining control of much of their territory. Putin cannot stand idly by and, for this reason, is proceeding with a second mobilization.
It is estimated that 100 thousand Russian soldiers could die in the winter fighting the enemy. With the mercury plunging to 3 degrees Celsius in Kherson and 0 degrees in Donetsk, Slavyansk and Kharkiv, Russian soldiers who have been fighting since February 24 are struggling to stay alive.
The Ukrainian government has announced that the plan it has organized for the surrender of Russian soldiers who wish to lay down their arms is bearing fruit. The relevant offices accept up to 100 requests per day.
The Ukrainian project under the title: “I Want To Live” (I want to live) started in September. By calling a hotline or through messenger apps, Russian troops can arrange how to surrender to Ukrainian forces. Officials in Kyiv say they have received more than 3,500 phone calls from Russian soldiers and their families.
There has been, they say, a sharp increase in the number of Russians wanting to surrender since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared partial mobilization and Kherson was liberated.
Svetlana, as her nickname is, is one of the Ukrainian women who speaks daily on the phone with Russian soldiers.
“They can either contact us by phone or most messenger apps like Telegram and WhatsApp. She explains that she gets more calls in the evenings because then the Russian soldiers have more free time and can sneak out and make calls.
“In the first phase, we hear a voice, mostly male,” he explains. “You often hear someone who is desperate, frustrated, because they don’t fully understand how the phone line works. But there are also some who call out of curiosity…many call not to surrender but to find out how they could if necessary. It’s different every time,” adds Svetlana.
