Ukraine has stated some former Russian troopers have switched sides and have now joined Kyiv's forces preventing in opposition to Vladimir Putin's invasion.
The Ukrainian protection ministry stated on its Telegram channel on Wednesday that commanders of the "Freedom of Russia" legion had been visiting detained former Russian navy personnel "with the intention to choose those that want to serve."
In a comply with up put up, it stated that the "first volunteers," comprising ex-Russian troops, "have already begun particular person extra coaching."
"Immediately the legion's personnel, beneath the steering of Ukrainian Armed Forces instructors, studied a NLAW grenade launcher," stated the put up, accompanied by pictures of troops gathered round navy gear.
"As well as, the commanders of the legion's subdivisions obtained acquainted with the operational state of affairs on the fronts," stated the put up.
It added that the legion's troops "expressed a standard want on behalf of all of the volunteers to conduct the primary battle in opposition to the guard canines of the Putin regime—the Kadyrovites."
This refers to fighters from Chechnya who're loyal to the Russian republic's Putin ally, President Ramzan Kadyrov, who've joined Russia's forces in Ukraine.
Newsweek continues to be making an attempt to confirm claims of troopers switching sides.
The put up was in Russian on a channel sometimes up to date in Ukrainian. The message was additionally shared on the Telegram channel devoted to the Freedom of Russia legion. This was created on March 10 and its first put up appealed to Russian prisoners of conflict "to hitch our armed wrestle in opposition to Putin and his regime."
Russian-language Ukrainian information outlet Bagnet stated becoming a member of the legion is voluntary and requires Russian prisoners of conflict to use in writing. The troops are then vetted by Ukraine's safety providers and counter intelligence.
It reported on Wednesday that each privates and officers had been among the many "a number of hundred" Russians who had signed up for the legion.
In a Telegram put up on Monday, the Ukrainian protection ministry stated that senior sergeant Nikolay Shishkarey had been accepted into the legion and described him as a former serviceman of the seventieth Motorized Rifle Brigade.
Different posts element prisoners who had swapped sides, though these haven't been verified and Russian personnel becoming a member of Kyiv's forces would signify a public relations coup for Ukraine.
Nevertheless, there have been quite a few experiences of low morale amongst Russian troopers with movies extensively shared on social media of troops complaining that they had been ill-equipped and missing a transparent technique from Moscow.
A clip that went viral this week exhibits Russian troops saying that they had been members of the armed forces from Donbas and had been being despatched to the Sumy area in northeastern Ukraine. One troop stated, "the Russian Protection Ministry has no thought about us, or what we're doing right here."
Newsweek has contacted the Russian protection ministry for remark.
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