MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. Western military trainers were in charge of planning the attack on the Kursk Region, captured Ukrainian serviceman Sergey Bochenko said in a video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry.
Bochenko was part of an infantry anti-tank rocket launcher crew of the Ukrainian army’s 11th separate rifle battalion. He was mobilized in August, 2022 and stationed near an airfield in the Nikolayev Region. He was taken prisoner in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region.
"They handed me a summons, I went to a military commissariat. They took me directly from there, didn’t even let me go home to grab my things," Bochenko said. "The platoon commander arrived. Said that in 45 minutes we are to enter the Kursk Region. At first, he didn’t say why, then he did. After assault and mechanized units entered, we were to guard roads, bridges and facilities. I heard from our command that they planned it with Western instructors; they were in charge. I ran into them on the battlefield. They were speaking a foreign language," he added.
The Ukrainian POW noted that they were forced to participate in the attack on the Kursk Region. "Many of our guys ran away. Those who got wind of it, many of them ran away. Later, the rest could not leave. There is no motivation. It’s more like we were forced to stay. Issued a one-way ticket. Given dry rations for a couple of days. There was no water or normal food," he added.
Bochenko also told of large numbers of eliminated hardware and servicemen he saw once he and his fellow servicemen crossed the border into the Kursk Region. "A lot of ambulances were heading back. Defeat is inevitable. In the best-case scenario, we will be driven out. Tons of people were sacrificed without any plan. As they say, ‘flying by the seat of their pants.’ We followed whatever Western instructors ordered us to do. We could not understand why we were entering the territory of a foreign country. It was scary. Politicians dragged us into this," the Ukrainian militant said.
Additionally, the POW noted that he heard from his comrades that Ukrainian troops were involved in looting and the poor treatment of local residents. "Atrocities were frequent," he added. The prisoner specified that he has not been home for around a year and that he "is being treated like cattle." "I don’t want to fight. I would like to address my comrades and everyone fighting on the Ukrainian side. Guys, stop it! This is not our war," he concluded.
Attack on Kursk Region
A massive attack on the Kursk Region by the Ukrainian army was launched on August 6. Air raid alerts have been repeatedly declared in the region. The majority of residents from the Kursk Region’s borderline districts have been temporarily relocated and are safe with over 720 people evacuated in the past 24 hours, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said. According to the agency, more than 9,500 people are being housed in temporary accommodation centers. A federal emergency situation regime has been declared in the region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the onset of military actions in the Kursk area, the Kiev regime has lost up to 2,640 troops, 37 tanks and 32 armored personnel carriers. The operation on eliminating Ukrainian armed formations continues.