How to Surrender to a Drone: A Step-by-Step Guide for Foreigners in Russia's Army

If you were recruited into Russia's armed forces - through a job offer, a promise of money, or outright coercion - and you want to get out alive, this guide is for you.  

Modern warfare requires modern protocols. On the frontline in Ukraine, drones are everywhere. They can also be your way out.

See the video instruction by the Ukrainian state project "I Want to Live" below: 

Why Surrender to Ukraine

Surrender into captivity instead of getting killed. Foreign nationals who surrender to Ukrainian forces are treated as prisoners of war under international humanitarian law - they receive medical care, proper nutrition, the right to correspond with their families, and their detention conditions are monitored by international organisations including the Red Cross and the UN. Russia offers none of this. To the Russian military command, foreign recruits are expendable - and they make no attempt to hide it.

Soldiers fighting against Ukraine - including Russian nationals - are increasingly surviving the war because they surrendered. The choice is available to you too.

What to Do When You See a Drone

1. Put down your weapon and raise your hands. Make it absolutely clear you want to surrender. Do not make sudden movements. Do not reach for anything.
2. Make visual contact with the drone. Look up at it directly. The operator can see you.
3. Wait for acknowledgment. The drone operator will signal that they have registered your surrender - by rocking the drone, flashing a light, or speaking to you through a loudspeaker mounted on the drone.
4. Wait for instructions. Instructions will come either by voice through the drone's speaker, or in a written note dropped by the drone. Follow them.
5. If the drone flies away - do not move. This means the battery ran low. Stay exactly where you are. Another drone will arrive. When it does, give the same surrender signals again.

If You Encounter a Ground Robot

Act in the same way. Stop. Raise your hands. Make your intention to surrender clear. Wait for instructions.

The Safest Option

Foreign and Russian nationals in Russia's army can arrange their surrender in advance - to do that, reach out to the "I Want to Live" project. More information is available here.

Remember and Pass It On

If you are reading this before you need it - remember these steps. And pass them on to the people around you.

If your relative is currently in Russia's armed forces and you want to get this information to them - share this page.

Choose life!