Although Russia is increasingly having difficulties recruiting new armed forces, Russian citizens are choosing to fight on the side of Ukraine. This is reported by the German news website merkur.de.
Recently, the battle for the small Russian town of Awdijiwka led to significant losses, including wounded or killed Russian soldiers. In the meantime, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the “Siberian Battalion”, consisting exclusively of Russian citizens, will soon be deployed in combat against Ukraine. This battalion also includes members of ethnic minorities who advocate for freedom and democracy in Russia. They differ from other Russian soldiers fighting on the side of Ukraine because the “Siberian Battalion” is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense and the soldiers have signed military contracts.
Among the members of this battalion are the Yakuts and Buryats, who live in the East Siberian region of Russia. They are fighting for independence from Russia and see a victory for Ukraine as a step in the right direction. A 29-year-old soldier from the diamond-rich Russian region of Yakutia told Bloomberg that they need to overthrow the Kremlin regime. Despite having no military experience, he traveled from the Siberian city of Irkutsk to Ukraine to join the army, hoping that Yakutia will become a free and democratic country.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (24.06.2023), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
.jpg){kind=link}