Ukraine-run advisory platform for safe surrender seen by 1.2M Russians

More than 1.2 million people have used information resources within the Ukrainian project "I want to live", which gives the invasion troops the opportunity to surrender.

That’s according to Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s defense intelligence, who spoke at the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"Publicity regarding this project is extremely serious, first of all on the territory of the Russian Federation itself, and word of mouth is working. We know that more than 1.2 million people have consulted the project’s information resources. These are the people who are looking for an opportunity to save their lives in this war for themselves or their family members," Yusov said.

According to the spokesman, more than 100 direct contacts and appeals through the chatbot or consultation hotline are registered every day from Russians who expressed their intention to surrender.

"We do not comment on the exact numbers, in particular for safety reasons. In addition, negotiations are ongoing regarding the return of our POWs, so all these things can have an impact," the intelligence official said.

He noted that the most pro-active users are the freshly mobilized forces, who do not understand why they need to take part in the war in the first place.

"They definitely understand that this is not their war, they seek to survive. And Ukraine, as a civilized state that adheres to international law and the Geneva Conventions, provides them with such an opportunity," Yusov emphasized.