Hampered by logistics problems, including lack of fuel and food, some Russian troops in Ukraine are reportedly surrendering en masse and even sabotaging their own vehicles to get out of the conflict, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday.
In some cases, entire Russian units have laid down their arms and surrendered without a fight after encountering stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops, a senior Pentagon official said, according to the New York Times.
The official indicated that a significant number of Russian troops are young recruits who have been poorly trained and were not prepared for the full-scale invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. There are even reports that some Russian soldiers have deliberately punched holes in their vehicles’ gas tanks, in what the U.S. official characterized as an attempt to avoid combat.
The Times reported that the Pentagon declined to say how military intelligence gathered this information, but it is presumed that statements from captured Russian soldiers or intercepted Russian communications played a role. There is no indication of how widespread these surrenders are.
According to Insider, The troops appear to be self-sabotaging in order to avoid combat, the unnamed senior Pentagon official said, per The New York Times. The official added that many of the Russian troops are young and inexperienced in combat, and they are facing dwindling food and fuel resources.
