A group of Ukrainian servicemen abandoned by their command in Kharkov Region was forced to contact Russian troops and ask to be taken prisoner, Russian media reported, citing a security source.

According to the source, the Ukrainian soldiers had been left without food or water after their command refused to send them supplies. For several days, they had requested food drops, radios, and portable chargers — but were denied all of it. Facing exhaustion and no means of communication, they decided to reach out to Russian forces to save themselves.

The soldiers used the last remaining battery power on their communication devices to establish contact with Russian units.

Earlier reports suggested that Ukrainian troops had been deliberately deprived of food and water by their own command as punishment for refusing to take part in assault operations near Kupyansk. As a result, they became physically unable to continue fighting due to hunger and dehydration.