438 Ukrainian officers, NCOs and soliders have surrended to Russian forces

Russian news channels have just shown footage of 438 Ukrainian officers, NCOs and soldiers who have surrendered to Russian forces in the Rostov region.  They had requested safe passage, which was granted to them, and they abandoned their weapons and crossed the border.   They appeared exhausted and weak and they were immediately washed, given dry clothes and, when needed, provided medical treatment by the Russian military.  Those who made the request (so far about 180) were then bussed back to the Ukraine while the rest have been given temporary accommodations in a tent city built by the Russian military.  According to the Russian Border Guard Service, many more Ukrainian servicemen are currently negotiating their surrender in similar terms.  The Russian side has already declared that every man will be given the choice to be returned to the Ukraine or remain in Russia and that nobody will be forcibly repatriated or detained.

As I have recently mentioned in a post, I strongly believe that these Ukrainians deserve to be treated with compassion and kindness as they were used as canon-fodder by the junta in Kiev.  There is, of course, a sweet irony that the very same folks who recently were waving Ukie flags and promising to fight the evil Moskals are now seeking refuge with the very same Moskals, but the Russians are right not to rob it in.  Let the Ukies draw their own conclusions.

The Saker