Moment Russian soldier holds sign pleading to be taken prisoner by Ukraine

This is the shocking moment a Russian soldier surrendered to Ukrainian forces after pleading for his life with a message scrawled on a piece of cardboard.

The 16th Army Corps said drone pilots operating near Lyman – a town in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region – spotted the soldier signaling his desire to surrender.

Drone footage shows a small building with cardboard signs displayed in a window.

One message read: “Please take me prisoner, I want to live.” »

It appears that his superiors ordered the soldier to surrender.

Moments later, another sign appeared in the window, again asking for his life to be spared.

A Ukrainian drone operator then responded, giving the soldier clear instructions on how to surrender safely.

Two Ukrainian soldiers then approached the building and escorted the Russian soldier until he was arrested.

Confirming that the surrender was successful, the 16th Army Corps said the operation was carried out with the support of the “Shkval” special unit of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

This is not the first time drones have played a role in Russian surrenders.

Ukrainian forces have reported cases in which Russian troops were persuaded to lay down their weapons after drones broadcast voice messages.

In 2022, Ukraine released an instructional video providing Russian soldiers with a step-by-step guide on how to surrender to a Ukrainian drone.

Drones are now more widely used in war than in any previous conflict.

Both sides rely heavily on them for reconnaissance and combat operations.

Ukraine also actively encourages Russian soldiers to surrender peacefully through initiatives such as its “I Want to Live” hotline.

Kyiv says it has already been used by thousands of troops.

This latest incident comes days after Moscow accused Ukraine of shooting at Putin’s home in Russia.

Western countries have disputed the Russian version of the alleged strike, with Ukrainian officials calling the evidence “laughable.”

Russia has since claimed to have passed data proving the attack to the United States.

A video posted on the Telegram channel of the Russian Defense Ministry shows the head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces handing over a device to the American attaché.

He described it as the control mechanism of a drone found among the downed fragments.

Kostyukov said Russia’s “decryption” of the data found in the device “confirms without doubt” that Putin’s palace was the target of the strike.

He added: “We assume that this measure will eliminate any questions and allow the truth to be established. »

However, Russian officials have not explained how they knew the drone swarm was heading directly toward its dictator’s palace.

Additionally, Putin’s palace is surrounded by more than 20 modern air defense systems, all of which have remained silent.