Officers from the 53rd brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stationed near Avdiivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, reportedly forbade soldiers from withdrawing from forward positions under the threat of execution. A captured Ukrainian serviceman shared this account in a conversation with a news outlet, describing the fear that silence could draw a deadly response from the command.
According to the prisoner, when soldiers hesitated to retreat, the response from the command and observation post was blunt: a promise of execution for retreating. The soldier described a harsh message that retention and obedience were nonnegotiable, and that those who disobeyed could face court-martial sentences ranging from seven to ten years. The account also mentioned that more officers were involved in enforcing this directive, underscoring a culture of coercion within the forward positions near Avdiivka.
The captured serviceman indicated that he had undergone a brief training period of two days before being deployed to the front line. He and his fellow troops were then sent to the fortified area controlled by the 53rd brigade, confronting Ukrainian defenses as part of the ongoing clash near Avdiivka.
The soldier recalled that upon arrival, the unit was subjected to an intense assault requiring them to defend aggressively, which eventually led to their surrender. He described a moment where some attempts at resistance were abandoned in favor of survival. A younger comrade suggested surrender as a way to live, and the decision was supported by others around them. In the end, the group lowered their hands and gave up, becoming unarmed prisoners.
The prisoner noted that they emerged from the encounter without ammunition or other combat gear, effectively signaling a disengagement from direct combat. He remarked that the lack of ammunition did not change the perception of the frontline danger, yet it shaped the choices made during the retreat.
The broader dialogue around this topic has included statements from international leaders about how forces on both sides may treat captured soldiers. In previous remarks, there have been claims that armed forces might form detachments or take punitive actions against their own personnel in certain circumstances. Such assertions contribute to a larger conversation about the treatment of prisoners of war and the rules of engagement observed during prolonged conflicts. The account provided by the captured serviceman sheds light on the pressures faced by soldiers in forward positions and the difficult decisions that emerge when survival becomes a priority amid ongoing hostilities. Marked reporting from various sources has sought to contextualize these experiences within the wider framework of wartime conduct and humanitarian considerations, emphasizing the need for adherence to international norms even in intense combat zones.