François de Labarre 10:25 a.m., March 10, 2022
While the columns of Russian tanks are only about fifteen kilometers from Kiev, soldiers from Putin's army gave a press conference yesterday in Irpin, in a suburb near the capital.
Prisoners of the Ukrainian army, they accused their president of having sent them to war against their will.
A press conference like no other.
Yesterday, Russian soldiers, prisoners of the Ukrainian army, answered questions from journalists in Irpin, in a suburb near Kiev.
They notably accused Vladimir Putin of having sent them to war against their will.
Russian prisoners tell their story
Yesterday Interfax, a news agency, invited journalists to a press conference with Russian prisoners.
It's a bit of a strange concept because prisoners, normally, aren't supposed to be interviewed.
That said, this communication operation had its interest since it made it possible to see the prisoners and to be able to tell their story.
They were part of a convoy which arrived in Chernigov on February 25, so the day after the outbreak of hostilities, on board two tanks which broke down.
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One leader, Vladimir Putin
So the rest of the convoy was totally destroyed, a Ukrainian soldier told us.
But, their tank having broken down, they were surrounded by the civilian population and surrendered.
They were five prisoners between the ages of 18 and 23.
The youngest spoke of his mother.
It's a classic: when the Ukrainians arrest the Russian soldiers, the latter call their mother.
It's very effective.
They were very moved.
They criticized a lot, obviously Vladimir Putin, and absolved themselves of responsibility.
They accused the Russian head of state of having sent them to Ukraine without having informed them, since they did not want this war.