Captured Russian commander issues apology, says they were duped [Video]

• Russian National Guard Lt. Col. Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich was captured with two other soldiers on Thursday.
• Mikhailovich apologized and said that he and his troops were told that Ukraine needed liberation from the Nazis that had taken over the capital.
• He begged Ukraine to let Russian prisoners live, and urged his troops to bravely oppose their commanders.

A captured Russian commander declared in a televised statement that his troops were tricked into thinking that Ukraine needed liberation from the Nazis that had taken the capital.

National Guard Lt. Col. Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich was captured on Thursday with two other soldiers.

Mikhailovich said that he and his troops were given “unilateral information” that Ukraine had been seized by “a fascist regime” made up of “nationalists and Nazis.”

He added that he had his doubts, but these were only confirmed when he heard that his favorite boxers, Ukrainians Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, were planning to fight for Ukraine.

After assuring reporters that he was speaking freely, the commander apologized to Ukrainian citizens.

Mikhailovich stated, “I feel shame that we came to this country. I don’t know why we were doing it. We knew very little. We brought sorrow to this land.”

He said, “I cannot find the words to say sorry to the Ukrainian people.” He acknowledged that he would understand if Russia was never forgiven.

Mikhailovich begged Ukraine to show “mercy” to prisoners of war, adding that he was ready to accept jail time and other punishments for their part in the “genocide.”

He explained, “Many of them are just embarrassed. They do not want war. I just sincerely hope for your mercy toward those people who come to you with their hands up, or those who are wounded. We should not sow death — it’s better to sow life.”

Mikhailovich also urged his troops to “be brave” and oppose their commanders.

“This is genocide. Russia cannot win here anyway. Even if we go until the very end,” he said. “We can invade the territory but we cannot invade the people.”

The footage raised concerns over whether it is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Article 13 ensures protection for prisoners of war, “particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.”

European media director of Human Rights Watch, Andrew Stroehlein, explained on Twitter that “humiliating or making POWs a subject of public curiosity or ridicule is strictly prohibited by the laws of war.”

He said that while POWs usually seem “free to speak as they wish,” they are still captives, “and it’s almost impossible to judge from one video the conditions they face.”

Stroehlein added that the law aims to protect soldiers and their families “back in their home country who may face retaliation if it is known that their family members have been captured.”

Source: New York Post