According to Kiev, since the first day of the war in Ukraine, Russian soldiers have laid down their arms and voluntarily surrendered to Ukrainian captivity. A hotline has been set up in the country specifically for such cases. Then, in mid-September, Ukraine set up a central contact point for Russian deserters. In an interview with the independent exiled Belarusian news portal Zerkalo.io, the spokesman for the “I want to live” initiative, Vitaly Matviyenko, explains why many Russians do not want to fight, how defectors are treated in Ukraine – and how much money they get in Ukraine deserve captivity. The translation of the interview appears with the kind permission of the Zerkalo editorial team.
Mr. Matviyenko, could you describe an average Russian defector who contacts you?
Vitaly Matviyenko: It is a person with a clear intention to surrender, 25-40 years old, has a family and a source of income. Most often they are people who have already served in the army but have no combat experience. And they don’t want to go to war to kill or be killed themselves.
What questions are people asking, what are they most afraid of?
First of all, most of them ask whether it is not a case of the (Russian secret service – editor’s note) FSB. In the beginning, many didn’t trust us, but now we’re getting fewer such calls – the project is becoming better known. Of course, everyone is concerned about their safety – that the information will not be intercepted by Russian authorities.
Has the number of requests increased since mobilization was called in Russia on September 21?
Yes. We started our work on September 18, just before the mobilization in Russia. At the end of September we had to increase the number of lines and operators because of a flood of calls. People were scared, they didn’t want to go to war.
How many calls do you receive per day?
On average, we receive between 50 and 100 inquiries per day. However, most callers are people who initially just want to find out how to safely turn up should the worst come to the worst. We do not publish figures on how many soldiers actually desert with our help, these are internal statistics. Before they are sent to the front, they can contact us, after that it becomes more difficult. Once mobilized, their ability to communicate with the outside world is immediately restricted: they are put under surveillance, housed in barracks where no one trusts one another. Smartphones are taken away. That’s why we advise everyone to hide SIM cards and simple button cell phones – and to remember our number.
Does it also happen that Russian commanders surrender?
There are also such cases. It happens that officers call us and state that not only they, but their whole unit wants to surrender.
Have you already dealt with Russian prisoners who are recruited by the Wagner group in prisons?
Such people do not come through “I want to live”. They sign a specific contract with (Wagner boss Yevgeny) Prigozhin, which they don’t receive – just like other documents. They also have no means of communication. They are taken directly from the penal colonies to the training centers where they receive military uniforms and weapons and undergo training. These people usually have no way of contacting us. They are sent to the most dangerous sectors of the front and are not allowed to withdraw, otherwise they are said to be “eliminated” by their own comrades. When they are captured, it is usually in battle.
Do prisoners of war have to work in the camp?
According to the Geneva Convention, only officers may refuse to work. There are workshops in camps, the prisoners work with wood, produce certain useful products. Ukraine spends money on their housing and food, and they have to work it off in a certain way. Prisoners of war receive remuneration for this. Yes, it’s small, but it’s in line with the Geneva Convention. The wage per day is about 10 hryvnia (equivalent to 0.25 euros). This money can be spent on cigarettes, groceries or extra phone calls home. If they don’t have any money in their account, our state pays for the calls.
How often can they call their loved ones?
Theoretically, it is possible to make phone calls for up to 15 minutes every day. But because there is usually only one line, they create waiting lists themselves.
There is a lot of evidence that Ukrainians in Russian captivity are treated inhumanely. You see how skinny they come out of there, you hear what cruel stories they tell. Do you think that something like this can also happen in Ukraine?
Ukraine is a democratic country and adheres to the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. They are housed in comfortable conditions, which cannot be said about the Ukrainian soldiers held captive by Russia.
Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the Russian POW camp in Olenivka in July. Against the background of such incidents, don’t Ukrainians vent their anger on Russian prisoners?
We have a slightly different society than the Russians. When you see Russian prisoners of war, you understand that they are intimidated, not self-determined people living in a totalitarian system. And no matter how much they are pro-Putin, you can tell they may not have had a choice. Once captured, they no longer pose a threat and there is no need to vent your anger on them. We are a European nation. We also receive international help because we show that we comply with international law and legislation. They are treated quite humanely according to their status. And this despite the fact that they have come to kill our women and children and to demolish our homes.
Translated by Uladzimir Zhyhachou
