'Go ahead, shoot yourselves': Ukrainian forces explain why Russians choose suicide over surrender

Ukrainian forces have reported an increase in suicides among Russian occupying troops on the Lyman front, the press officer of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade, Rostyslav Yashchyshyn, shared in a comment to LIGA.net.

The Russian army command continuously tells its troops about "horrific torture" awaiting them in Ukrainian captivity, according to him.

"They mostly scare them with tales that Ukrainians will cut off everything they can. That's why we see so many suicides in our sector. Even with minor wounds, Russians try to shoot themselves or blow themselves up with grenades. This has become the norm for them. Well, we don't really have anything against it. Go ahead, shoot yourselves," he said.

At the same time, he noted that the enemy's advantage on this front remains its willingness to constantly sacrifice personnel in assaults. "Absolutely no one cares about the fate of these soldiers. They are simply sent to their deaths. If they refuse, there's a whole system of punishments for those who disobey. We've gathered this information from their prisoners," the press officer added.

Russians usually end up in captivity when disoriented after the initial intense combat. "When they find themselves on unfamiliar terrain under heavy fire from our drones, they begin to lose their bearings and, usually completely disoriented, they end up as our prisoners," Yashchyshyn said.