- Ukraine has released an instruction video for Russian soldiers on surrendering to a drone.
- It's part of the "I Want to Live" hotline, which entices Russians to stop fighting in Ukraine.
Ukraine's army issued an instruction video on Monday with a step-by-step guide for Russian soldiers on how to surrender to one of its drones.
The video comes as part of Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project, a hotline that encourages Russians who are reluctant to fight in Ukraine to surrender.
The video, which is narrated in Russian, shows three men in uniform and white armbands in a trench within a snowy landscape. From there, they are led to Ukrainian captivity by a small red quadcopter.
The footage suggests that the role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, on the Ukrainian battlefield is rapidly expanding, even to the sensitive area of surrender.
The video claims that the goal is to make the capture process safer.
Surrendering soldiers are instructed to contact the "I Want to Live" hotline to arrange the time and place of the meeting ahead of time. "Once verified, go to the place at the exact time indicated," the video says.
Given the short flight time of a drone, the video notes, "the accuracy and timeliness of arrival is critical."
Once in place, soldiers are told to wait for the drone to appear — or for further instructions.
"Seeing the drone in the field of view, make eye contact with it," the video instructs. Soldiers should then raise their arms and signal they're ready to follow.
After that the drone will move up and down a few meters, before heading off at walking pace in the direction of the nearest representatives of Ukraine's army, it says.
The video also warns that the drone's battery may run low, in which case it will head back to base and the soldiers should stay put and await a fresh one.
That one, too, should be met with eye contact and arms raised, it says.
The video shows the three uniformed men finally meeting with Ukrainian soldiers with arms raised, whereupon they lie face down on the ground in order to be searched.
"Russian soldiers, keep this instruction for yourself," the video advises. "Distribute it among your colleagues and acquaintances. Save more lives."
"I Want to Live" was launched in September, just before Putin announced the partial mobilization of reservists — an unpopular move that called up an estimated 300,000 Russians not in active service to join the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine claims the service has received thousands of enquiries from Russians. Insider was unable to verify the number.
In an earlier interview with the Kyiv Post, the project's spokesperson, Vitaliy Matvienko, explained that Russians can even contact the hotline pre-emptively, to register an intention to surrender ahead of being physically sent to Ukraine.
The project says that those who surrender will be greeted under the terms of the Geneva Convention, which guarantees the safety of noncombatants.
In late November, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence shared drone footage showing a man in a Russian soldier's uniform walking with arms raised — an example, it said, of a drone mediating a surrender.
In November, Russia's Ministry of Defense said that it had also used drones to transmit text messages enticing Ukrainians to surrender, state news agency TASS reported, though it is unclear how successful the initiative has been.