Russian soldiers surrender near Kupiansk after contacting Ukrainian chatbot: Khartiia unit reveals operation details
Fighters of Khartiia brigade carried out unique operation in Kupiansk (photo: Getty Images)
A group of Russian soldiers in Kupiansk voluntarily surrendered to Ukrainian armed forces after using the chatbot of the I Want to Live project, Khartiia brigade reports.
How exit from the city was prepared
Russian infantry soldiers had been in Ukraine's Kupiansk for about half a year without logistics or rotations, having arrived there through an abandoned gas pipeline.
Finding themselves in a hopeless situation, Russian soldiers contacted representatives of the I Want to Live project (Ukrainian government initiative offering surrender instructions to Russian troops) and transmitted their coordinates.
Contact with the group was maintained by fighters of the Khartiia tactical group (military unit), who supervised the surrender process in online mode.
"I wrote to the hotline in Telegram (messaging platform), I Want to Live, bot replied to me and recorded all my data. Then I sent the place where I was located, my position," one of the captured invading soldiers said.
Evacuation under fire from own side
During the exit, the group was spotted by a Russian drone. The Russian army opened fire on its own soldiers, using mortars and FPV drones (first-person-view attack drones) to prevent their surrender.
Russian soldiers had to hide in the private residential sector before they were able to reach a safe zone.
As a result of the operation, Russians were successfully evacuated on quad bikes (four-wheel all-terrain vehicles).
"There is intense propaganda there: they sit and wait for something unclear. But they do not have many options — either die or surrender," a captured soldier urged other Russian soldiers not to wait for death.
Situation in Kupiansk
The situation in the Kupiansk area remains tense. Recently, Ukrainian defenders denied claims about the alleged breakthrough of Russian forces into residential areas of the city, stressing that Kupiansk remains under full control of Ukrainian armed forces.
Earlier Defense Forces had already thwarted an attempt of large-scale breakthrough of the enemy in this direction, destroying armored vehicles and airborne troops of the Russian forces. In addition, it became known that Russians effectively trapped themselves in the industrial zone of the city, ending up under the fire control of Ukrainian artillery.
Footage also appeared online showing the Ukrainian flag raised over the left-bank part of Kupiansk, confirming the consolidation of Ukrainian units on key positions.
