Three Russian Soldiers Surrender in Kupyansk After Kremlin Command Abandons Them Without Rotation or Supplies

Three Russian assault troops surrendered to Ukrainian forces in Kupyansk after being abandoned by their command without rotation or supplies, according to footage released by the "I Want to Live" project on February 22.

The soldiers, left blocked in the contested Kharkiv Oblast city without support from russian commanders, lost hope of survival and contacted the project's hotline. Specialists from "I Want to Live" connected them with reconnaissance from the National Guard's "Khartia" corps, which coordinated their safe surrender.

The full operation was documented through unique footage and conversation recordings showing the real-time coordination between the russian prisoners of war and Ukrainian forces. See the full video on Youtube:

"Three helpless assault troopers found themselves blocked in Kupyansk without rotation or provision, abandoned by Russian command," the "I Want to Live" project stated in its announcement.

The case illustrates ongoing problems with russian army recruitment and treatment of personnel, as Moscow's forces continue suffering from command failures and logistical breakdowns in occupied territories. Russian soldiers increasingly turn to Ukrainian surrender hotlines as their only survival option when the russian armed forces leave units stranded without evacuation plans.

The "I Want to Live" project provides a confidential hotline for Russian servicemembers seeking to surrender, offering them a path out of the Russia Ukraine war. The initiative has facilitated numerous surrenders of Russian military personnel who face abandonment or certain death from their own command structure.