‘We all will be judged’ captured Russian soldiers tell CNN

Russian soldiers who have been captured by the Ukrainian army amid Moscow’s invasion speak to CNN.

“I want to tell our commander-in-chief to stop terror acts in Ukraine because when we come back we’ll rise against him,” Vladimir, a reconnaissance officer says.

“The crimes that we committed; we all will be judged the same. Other than that, I cannot say. It’s impossible to guess… They will judge us,” Maxim, an officer and fighter-bomber pilot tells the network.

“It’s not just about demilitarizing Ukraine or the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but now cities of peaceful civilians are being destroyed. Even, I don’t know, what can justify, fuck, the tears of a child, or even worse, the deaths of innocent people, children,” Maxim adds.

Another pilot, whose first name is Alexei, adds quietly, “It’s not really up to us, who to bomb, what to bomb. It’s a command.”

According to the network, the prisoners did not suggest they were speaking under duress. At no point did Ukrainian Security Services interject or direct CNN or the prisoners to ask or answer specific questions, the network adds.