The Kherson region governor described a troubling scene in which he claimed Ukrainian soldiers who attempted to surrender were allegedly shot in the back as the fight continued, compelling their comrades to operate under gunpoint. These remarks were shared in a dialogue with a Russian news agency and have been circulated as part of ongoing discussions about the conduct of troops in the conflict.
According to the governor, the Ukrainian military faced what he described as a no-return situation, with barriers and forces positioned to press a forward advance by force. In his view, the most viable path for Ukrainian servicemen, if they were to avoid capture, was to yield to Russian captivity, a claim he framed as a strategic option under the circumstances he described.
The governor stressed that he believed the Ukrainian command was actively trying to forestall surrender among its troops. In his account, those who did surrender were subjected to shooting, an assertion he presented as part of a broader critique of the decision-making by Kyiv’s military leadership during the conflict.
He reiterated his stance from his earlier tenure as head of the Kherson region, noting that after the downing of a Russian transport aircraft carrying detained Ukrainian personnel, negotiations regarding exchanges should move forward with the involvement of neutral intermediary states as mediators. This emphasis on neutral participation was framed as essential to any potential prisoner exchange process.
In the Russian discourse around the issue, there were also proposals about creating mechanisms that would integrate prisoners into civilian life within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reflecting wider discussions about the fate of captured personnel and possible paths toward reconciliation or practical settlement on the ground.