Russian soldiers reveal how they help Ukrainian army - The Telegraph

One of the Russian conscripts cooperating with Ukrainian forces recounted in an interview with a British newspaper how he set fire to his unit's trench on the left bank of the Dnipro River in July.

The flames then spread to the bunker of a neighboring unit, resulting in some occupiers' deaths as they attempted to retrieve ammunition and weapons from the fire.

"While they were trying to extinguish the fire and save the supplies of food and weapons, the fire spread to a larger area. Many soldiers suffered burns," said the Russian soldier, whose name is withheld for security reasons.

It is noted that the Russian conscript was recently recruited by the Ukrainian Crimean Tatar resistance movement ATESH, which opposes the occupation.

"I knew the area well since I’ve been there for a long time. I think I did my job well, maybe even more so. The results exceeded our expectations," he told British journalists.

According to a message from ATESH on their Telegram channel, the fire severely damaged the trenches and bunkers of both units, destroying several supply depots and a large portion of their stockpiles. Reports indicate that up to 20 Russian forces suffered severe burns.

Now, the Russian conscript, who has begun assisting Ukraine, is in a new position on the front lines. He told The Telegraph that he would do everything possible to continue his work against the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Currently, the ATESH movement, formed in occupied Crimea in the summer of 2022, has over 2,000 resistance fighters.

According to a spokesperson for this partisan group, they operate across all occupied territories of Ukraine and within Russia itself, penetrating deep into the Russian army, and we are constantly growing.

The partisans collaborate with Ukrainian intelligence and other resistance movements, relying on the deep local knowledge of residents and increasingly on Russian soldiers themselves.

It is noted that dozens of Russians who were drawn into a war they did not want to participate in have joined the movement.

"Almost from the very beginning, Russian soldiers have been joining us, helping to obtain information both on the front line and in the rear in Crimea and Russia. But we are currently seeing a significant increase in the number of Russian soldiers joining our ranks," the spokesperson for ATESH stated.

A representative of the partisan group added that they are a key tool in supporting our struggle, carrying out important sabotage and reconnaissance tasks.

According to the spokesperson for ATESH, Russian soldiers on the battlefield provide information about troop movements, supplies of weapons and ammunition, as well as the locations of commanders and command posts.

Additionally, agents at airfields report on the type, number, and condition of aircraft, as well as air defense systems, flight schedules, and fuel and ammunition depots.

Some engage in sabotage of equipment and weapons, carrying out diversions and arson to damage and expose their positions.

Last year, ATESH claimed that 4,000 Russian soldiers had already completed an online course on how to survive in war by sabotaging their equipment.

Another Russian military personnel recruited by Ukrainian partisans is working at a Russian airbase located several hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border, tracking the movements of aircraft and weapons deliveries.

The agent described the airfield as one of the most capable airbases in Russia, housing some of the most modern Russian fighter jets used by the Russian army to conduct regular missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.

"Here, I act as the eyes and ears for Atesh," the Russian soldier told The Telegraph.

Last month, he relayed information about the redeployment of Su-34 fighter-bombers to other airfields deep within Russia, which he claimed subsequently became targets for Ukrainian Defense Forces.

He hopes that his intelligence will help inflict irreparable damage on Putin's forces.

"Each piece of information I share accelerates the end of this unjust war," he emphasized.

ATESH reports that a highly successful operation facilitated by a Russian soldier resulted in the destruction of the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the occupied port city of Sevastopol.

In September 2023, according to Ukrainian sources, a missile strike killed 32 Russian officers, including a fleet admiral.

As noted by ATESH, one of their agents provided details of a planned meeting among fleet leadership, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces used to determine the timing of their strike.

A third agent told The Telegraph that he lives in occupied Crimea and monitors arrivals and departures at the Kavkaz port, located in a strategic area of the Kerch Strait that separates the Ukrainian peninsula from Russia.

He joined the partisan group in the spring of 2023 and began relaying information about the timing, location, number of vehicles, amount of fuel, as well as truck numbers transporting fuel and lubricants, and other critical information.

As reported by the British newspaper, on May 31 of this year, he witnessed the fruits of his labor - a powerful explosion when Ukrainian missiles struck a ferry crossing and a fuel depot in the port.

An even more significant strike occurred on August 22, when a ferry transporting fuel and weapons to Crimea sank, leading to a fuel shortage on the occupied peninsula.

"I can see with my own eyes the effectiveness of my co-operation with the Atesh movement. I will continue to provide all possible assistance I can to achieve victory over Russia’s military," he emphasized.

It was previously reported that in October, Ukrainian partisans scouted the arsenal of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the occupied Sevastopol.

Additionally, last year, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, revealed that as part of the successful special operation Barynia aimed at recruiting a Russian lieutenant, the Main Intelligence Directorate managed to obtain highly valuable information.