Russian Soldier Asks Countrymen To 'Take To The Streets' Against Putin

KEY POINTS

Russian soldiers in Ukraine urged their fellow citizens back home to "take to the streets" and "stop this chaos"
Around 15,000 Russian personnel have died, and some of them were allegedly thrown into mass graves
Russia has already lost the war since "the Ukrainian military will simply destroy them," one soldier claimed

Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine have called on their fellow citizens back home to stand up against their authorities over Russia's invasion of its western neighbor.

"I ask you to take to the streets. Do not be afraid of our government," Alexander Fomenko, a serviceman of the Russian Navy's 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine.

"They will not trample on the crowd. Yes, they will detain 10,000 - 20,000 people, but there are more of you. You can go out and stop this chaos," Fomenko, who was the commander of the unit's automobile department, added.

Russian troops have already lost the war because "the Ukrainian military will simply destroy them," Igor Rudenko, a signalman in Fomenko's brigade who had surrendered, said.

"Despite how many of them there will be... About 15,000 of them have already died. If you have the honor remains, do not repeat my mistakes," Rudenko, who was an ethnic Ukrainian and native of the Dnipropetrovsk region, addressed the Russian military at the Interfax-Ukraine press conference.

Troops should be taken away from the ongoing conflict as Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not need us," Rudenko added.

"[Putin] does not even take the corpses. They are thrown into mass graves. It's hard to see," the soldier said.

Aside from that, Rudenko alleged that he was previously given a "criminal" order by his command to launch salvo fire on residential buildings in the now-Russian-occupied city of Kherson.

He apologized to the Ukrainian people for having "betrayed them" and said his "decision to surrender was the right decision."

Around 14,700 Russian personnel have been lost since the start of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said in its most recent combat losses report.

Russia also lost 476 tanks, 1,487 combat armored combat vehicles, 96 aircraft and 118 helicopters, among other vehicles.

Around 15,000 Russians have been detained for protesting and opposing their country’s invasion of Ukraine, as per the United States Department of State.

Protesters reportedly risk fines and possible prison sentences by taking to the streets.