From an AP story about a Ukrainian Hotline:
KYIV, Ukraine — More than 3,000 people have called a Ukrainian hotline for Russians who wish to surrender rather than fight, organizers say.
The line dubbed “I want to live” was launched in mid-September by the Ukrainian military authorities along with a Telegram chatbot. The idea was born after Ukraine recaptured areas in the Kharkiv region from Russia and wanted to give Russians a chance to give themselves up.
“We had the cases of Russians calling us when they weren’t drafted yet,” project spokesperson Vitalii Matvienko told the Associated Press. “Now there are more calls from recently drafted soldiers.”
Matvienko said operators have received calls from men in tears, lost because they didn’t want to participate in the war and feared being drafted. The number of calls rises every time there is a Ukrainian counteroffensive somewhere, he said.
Matvienko said Russia has blocked the project website but hasn’t managed to stop the word from spreading.
Speak Your Mind