Russian soldiers who were given the opportunity to speak after being captured in Ukraine appeared tearful as they apologised for the ongoing invasion.
The army reconnaissance officers spoke after reportedly being shot down while flying over Ukraine last week as their fellow soldiers continued targeting major cities and buildings in the country.
After being caught the soldiers were given the opportunity to speak to journalists at the Interfax Ukraine News Agency, at which point one soldier took the opportunity to apologise for what he described as the 'treacherous invasion'.
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See the footage below:
The pilot, identified as 34-year-old Sergey Galkin, spoke on behalf of himself and his 'squad' as he expressed his apologies to 'every home, to every street, to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children' for Russia's invasion.
‘I gravely apologise for our treacherous invasion. To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing – that they’ve acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us.’
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As cited by The Sun, Galkin went on to address 'all regiments of the Russian army' as he encouraged soldiers to 'lay down your arms'.
He also called out to Russian president Vladimir Putin, telling him to 'stop further combat actions', and to 'stop bombings, stop sending soldiers here to kill civilians, to perform airstrikes'.
The soldier's apology comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy encouraged Russian soldiers to surrender, telling troops they 'won't be able to take anything from Ukraine'.
Speaking in a public address, Zelenskyy addressed Russians directly as he said: 'You will take lives – you are many – but yours will be taken too. What are you dying for? I know you want to survive. We hear in your intercepted calls what you really think of this war, of this shame, and of your state. Your conversations with each other, your calls home to your families, we hear everything. We know who you are.
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'That is why I offer you a choice: if you surrender to our forces, we will treat you as humans have to be treated, with dignity. The way you have not been treated in your army. And the way your army doesn't treat our people. Choose.'
Zelenskyy also assured Ukrainian residents that Russia had 'begun to realise they won't achieve anything by war'. He claimed Russian soldiers left behind 'their vehicles and equipment' as they fled from the battlefield, in turn becoming a 'supplier of equipment' for the Ukrainian army.
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Topics: Politics, Russia, Ukraine, World News, Volodymyr Zelensky