A representative from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (GUR) announced that thousands of phone calls have been made by Russian forces declaring the surrender to the ministry since the hotline debuted a few weeks ago, the GUR representative announced on an interview with TV channel "FREEDOM" on Monday.
Representative Andriy Yusov from GUR said the calls have come from soldiers awaiting deployment and even Russian troops who have already been mobilized. He added that over 2,000 calls have been made thus far and that the number is growing.
Yusov added that in some instances, wives call the hotline to inquire about securing surrenders for their husbands. Yusov also explained that Ukraine will follow Geneva Conventions protocol and allow surrendering forces access to medical care and allowed to contact their relatives.
“Most importantly, they get to live instead of being turned into cannon fodder in a war of Ruscists [supporters of the Russian administration] and Putin against Ukraine,” he said.
Russian struggles in the war
Stories of Russian soldiers capitulating have grown in frequency as Russia continues to struggle in its war efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have "fully cleared" the strategic town of Lyman of Russian forces, adding to recent Ukrainian land gains, while prominent Putin allies have begun criticizing leading figures of the Russian Armed Forces for what they consider a failing war effort.