The story of a Russian soldier who defected to Ukraine
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Andriy, a 21-year-old Russian from the Komi Republic of the Russian Federation, sided with Ukraine and is currently fighting as part of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC). He shared his experience with Novyny.LIVE and revealed how many Russian soldiers actually support the Putin regime.
Who are RVC and what do they do in Ukraine?
I spoke with Andriy following the concluding press conference of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) summarizing their activities in the war against Russia. The RVC is a military unit within the Ukrainian Armed Forces formed in August 2022. It is part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine. Its members include former Russian Armed Forces servicemen, ex-FSB and Ministry of Internal Affairs officers, and activists from nationalist informal movements. The commander of the RDK is Denis Nikitin (Kapustin), known by the callsign White Rex.
The fighters of this corps are known for their raids into Russian regions bordering Ukraine, particularly in the Belgorod area. They also participated in the operation to liberate the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant in September of this year.
The RVC is also involved with Russian prisoners of war who wish to side with Ukraine. One such individual is 21-year-old Andriy.
Russian military defects to Ukraine
In an interview with Novyny.LIVE, he explains that he ended up in the Russian army under rather unusual circumstances. Previously, he was an administrator of a Russian Telegram channel about the war in Ukraine. Because of this, he claims, he came under pressure from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
"I was under their pressure for three months, and through coercion, I signed a contract with the 810th Marine Brigade. Three weeks after training at the range, I was sent to the war in the Kursk region, where I surrendered to the 95th Brigade," he shares.
He says that when he first went to the war, he realized he wouldn't survive.
"When I saw what was happening there, I lost all hope of staying alive. I ended up in the so-called "meat assaults". They sent three of us on reconnaissance where a full Ukrainian fortified position was located. That’s where I surrendered," he says.
He assures that Ukrainian soldiers did not subject him to physical violence, suspecting it might have been due to his specific military background.
"I knew the details of the war, and when asked, "What happened in 2014?" I didn’t respond with "the Olympics", as many others do," he admits.
Russian youth believe in total propaganda
Afterward, Andriy was sent for an interview with RVC commander Denis Rex and then completed a basic combat training course. He explains that at home, due to the overwhelming propaganda about Russia's war in Ukraine, young people start to believe it.
"Those I stood with at anti-Putin rallies before the war are now, for some reason, supporting this government after the full-scale invasion began. There’s also a program in Russia where anyone who recruits someone into the army gets a monetary reward. Many, especially from the security forces, take advantage of this," he claims.
According to him, 25% of Russian military personnel do not support Putin's regime but ended up in the army due to specific circumstances.
"It’s unlikely anyone in Russia can do much against this totalitarian regime, so I would advise everyone to leave before they all end up on the front line. Not everyone will manage to switch sides to Ukraine like I did. It’s war — any mine, bomb, or bullet, and that's it, you're gone," he concluded.
As a reminder, according to Novyny.LIVE's sources in the Security Service of Ukraine, on Wednesday, December 25, the agency's drones blew up an ammunition depot in Rostov region. It is located at the Kadamovsky training ground.
In addition, on the night of Wednesday, December 25, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the location of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk region.
