UKRAINE, KUPIANSK, Feb. 19 — In Kupiansk, a Russian soldier surrendered to Ukraine’s captivity with the help of Ukrainian chatbot Hochu Zhyt (“I want to live” in translation), said the press service of 13th National Guard Brigade “Khartia.” 

Hochu Zhyt is a Ukrainian-run project that offers Russian troops instructions on how to surrender into captivity. 

Khartia’s press service noted that a Russian serviceman signed a contract with the army in order to have his criminal record cleared and his debts written off. He later reached Kupiansk through an abandoned gas pipeline and, after half a year in the city, surrendered to Ukrainian forces.

According to Ukrainian military officials, the infantryman had remained at position without rotation or supplies. He and several soldiers eventually decided to surrender using the Hochu Zhyt bot. Members of the Khartiia battalion’s tactical group contacted them and coordinated the surrender.

“I wrote to the ‘hotline’ on Telegram. A bot responded and recorded all my details. Then I sent my location and position. I received a message with a password. After that, I was passed to another representative in that direction, and he then connected me with a local commander,” the captured soldier said.

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