Drunk Russian Man Sold to Recruiters by Friends, Sent to Fight in Ukraine

A Russian prisoner of war captured in Ukraine said he was enlisted in the Russian military after a drinking session, claiming his companions arranged a contract in his name, collected the associated payment, and left him at a military recruitment office before he was sent to fight in Ukraine’s Sumy region.

The account was shared on Ukraine’s national telethon on September 9 by Vadym Karpiak, spokesperson for Ukraine’s 8th Air Assault Corps, who said the man was among recently captured Russian troops describing how they entered military service.

Karpiak said the prisoner had been drinking with a group in Russia before waking up at a local military enlistment office. According to the prisoner’s account, his drinking companions had an arrangement connected to military recruitment, signed a contract on his behalf, and took the money linked to the enlistment.

The man was subsequently deployed as an assault soldier and sent to attack Ukrainian positions in the Sumy region, Karpiak said.\

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

Russia Preparing to Mobilize Up to 600,000 More Troops Through 2027, Ukrainian Intelligence Says

Sep 07, 2026 13:21

The spokesperson said recently contracted soldiers make up a significant share of Russian troops being captured and are often sent to frontline positions shortly after joining the military. In some cases, he said, soldiers receive limited information about their mission and are initially instructed to occupy a position and wait for further orders.

Karpiak also described another account from a Russian POW who said commanders used access to food and water to pressure troops into advancing. According to the prisoner, soldiers who refused to move forward could be left without resupply for days, while supplies were delivered farther ahead of their positions to compel them to advance.

Russia continues relying on new contract recruits to replenish frontline units amid mounting personnel losses. On September 9, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces had suffered more than 1.5 million personnel losses—killed and wounded—since the start of the full-scale invasion, a figure that cannot be independently verified in real time.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense