Russian soldier surrenders with tank in return for $10,000 and Ukrainian citizenship after his colleagues ran off and his commander threatened to shoot him’
According to reports, a Russian soldier surrendered himself and his tank to Ukrainian troops in exchange for $10,000 (£7,500) and Ukrainian citizenship.
According to Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Victor Andrusiv, Misha (not real name) was one of Vladimir Putin’s invading forces, but he has now surrendered a T-72B3 main battle tank after his two other crewmates escaped home and his superior officer threatened to shoot him.
Andrusiv said Misha had called Ukraine’s national police and set up a meeting location, but that Ukraine needed to be cautious and send in a drone with a camera to meet the soldier to ensure it wasn’t an ambush.
‘We have identified the phones used in the National Police for a few weeks,’ he said.
‘On these phones, we regularly send SMS about how to surrender and hand over the equipment.
‘A few days ago, Misha called us.
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‘We handed over the information about him to the GUR MO [Ukrainian military intelligence].
‘He didn’t see the point of war.
Special forces then detained Misha, who lay face-down with his hand up as he surrendered.
The seized T-72B3 tank has the capacity for a three-person crew and is fitted with a 125 mm smoothbore main gun as well as a machine gun and an anti-tank guided missile. It is a relatively new Russian upgrade of their old T-72B tanks used by Ukraine.
Andrusiv added the Russian soldier will spend the remainder of the war as a prisoner in ‘comfortable conditions with a TV, phone, kitchen and shower’.
The surrender by the Russian soldier comes days after Ukrainian state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom offered $1million for the capture of battle-ready Russian aircraft.
Ukroboronprom said: ‘To the pilots of the Russian Federation ready to participate in the programme, we guarantee the issuance of citizenship of a free country!’
The arms manufacturer also added it would give $500,000 for every combat helicopter seized from the Russians that could still be used.