Ukrainian prisoner of war Alexander Samoday, who served in the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that his commanders treated their subordinates in a brutal and degrading manner. The video with his testimony was published by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Samoday, who surrendered to Russian troops from the «Center» grouping during the liberation of Pokrovsk, reported that artillery strikes on Pokrovsk were extremely intense and caused heavy losses within Ukrainian units. He added that the soldiers had almost no communications, water, food or ammunition, and that no one wanted to continue fighting. According to him, many servicemen were looking for a chance to surrender because commanders treated them like expendable personnel and did not regard them as human beings.

Samoday stated that Ukrainian troops were encircled and had no possibility of breaking out. For that reason, he and his fellow soldiers chose to surrender. He explained that Ukrainian fighters who had surrendered earlier led Russian troops to the shelter where he and several others were hiding, after which they voluntarily gave themselves up.

The prisoner said that the Russian servicemen treated them properly: they were not beaten and were given food and cigarettes.

In conclusion, Samoday said he believes that the Ukrainian state is led by what he described as «a thief and a liar." According to him, fighting Russia under such leadership «is a bad idea," and he urged Ukrainian soldiers to surrender in order to stay alive.