this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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https://t.me/pravdaGerashchenko_en/33993

"I can only say thank you for saving my life," - a captured Russian conscript who blew himself up with a grenade in order not to surrender has confirmed that in Russia, soldiers are programmed to commit suicide, being told about the long and painful torture in captivity.

Fyodor, a conscript from St. Petersburg, told a UNIAN journalist how he blew himself up together with a comrade when the Armed Forces of Ukraine approached his position in Russia's Kursk region.

"I took out a grenade. He [his comrade] said, "Let's do it." We hugged each other, threw it on the ground and said some last warm words to each other. The comrade also has a leg wound. At that point, I had already realized three times that I was closer to death. We were afraid to surrender, we didn't know what would happen here. We were afraid that there would be long and painful torture. But considering how it is in reality now, I can only say thank you for saving my life and curing me," he said.

According to Fyodor, he was given first aid by the Ukrainian military. They shared water and cigarettes with the prisoners and brought medicine to the wounded from other dugouts.

πŸ“Ή: Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News

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[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 120 points 3 months ago (2 children)

With how awful this war is, it’s nice to see common human decency and gratitude on display for a change.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 99 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The reason Russian soldiers behave as they do is they're conditioned to believe its totally normal military behavior. "If we don't do it that's what will happen to us," is what they're brought to believe. The Russian Federation is a pure terrorist state. The people of Russia need big daddy Putin to keep them safe from all the manufactured fears that big daddy Putin is feeding them. I was reading this morning about how Ukraine is currently having a bit of a public health emergency because there aren't enough therapists to help Russian POW's navigate the social whiplash they're experience from not being tortured. They were promised that nothing could be worse than a Ukrainian POW camp and they're finding it to be more pleasant than standing guard over Russian land. Like... These are people who have been so traumatized for so long that kindness is its own form of trauma. It recontextualizes all of their prior experiences and its a lot to take in.

[–] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 37 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They think they'll be tortured because that's what they do to others.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 26 points 3 months ago

It's a mental oroboros of torture. And being broken out of that loop does some weird shit to your brain

[–] djsoren19@yiffit.net 26 points 3 months ago

It's really only the Russian military who has been awful, and it's almost tragic how much Putin and Russia's military doctrine have destroyed these kids' minds. They turned children into monsters, then justifed their actions by claiming the enemy is just as monstrous. Meanwhile, all of us outside Russia can't even imagine why a conscript wouldn't want to surrender to the Ukrainians, who have consistently shown themselves to be excellent people who are willing to care for these conscripts even despite some of the things they've done.

[–] yokonzo@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Wait, how exactly did they survive the grenade? Just dumb luck?

[–] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

"I took out a grenade. He [his comrade] said, "Let's do it." We hugged each other, threw it on the ground and said some last warm words to each other. The comrade also has a leg wound.

It sounds like they were standing, dropped the grenade at their feet, and were hugging each other. The hug would possibly reduce some damage to center mass, and it sounds like both have injuries to the legs. If the grenade rolled away that would increase survivability. It also sounds like the interviewee took the brunt of the damage.

But don't listen to me, the closest I've come to a grenade is a Chipotle burrito with bad arvo

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If blood is reaching your brain the human body is pretty resilient.

If a trauma patient can make it to a modern hospital while still alive they're probably going to keep them alive.

[–] prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 months ago

tl;dr yes, dumb luck

[–] djsoren19@yiffit.net 8 points 3 months ago

Well it was presumably a Russian made grenade, maybe it didn't have any fragmentation due to cost cuts. also presumably the Ukrainians were quick to find the two and treat them before they died to blood loss.

[–] Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 months ago

They shared water and cigarettes with the prisoners...

Ah, suicide by the long route, allowing the Russian soldier to be a drain on the state with emphysema. Good long term thinking.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

I don't think any of the soldiers on the frontline are even worth torturing to be honest. None of them know anything as they're simply being told to do something.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Is this how you "kill them with kindness"? Danm, I'm not crying,.. you're crying!