More Russians to join Ukrainian Armed Forces to defeat Putin, Danilov says
Many Russians are fighting on the side of Ukraine against the Putin regime and “these are not isolated cases,” National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) secretary Oleksiy Danilov said on national television on Oct. 26, commenting on the formation of the Sibir (Siberia) battalion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"There are many representatives of the Russian Federation, Russian minorities who are categorically opposed to the Putin regime […] and they are helping us in this fight," he explained, adding that in the near future we will see "not just one such battalion."
"I can say that it exists in the ranks of the armed forces. This is something completely different, this is a completely different situation."
Ukraine’s military has formed a battalion of soldiers made up entirely of Russian citizens who want to fight against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, U.S. financial news outlets Bloomberg wrote on Oct. 24.
The Sibir (Siberia) battalion has brought together dozens of Russians and people from ethnic minorities in Russia who traveled via third countries because they wanted to join the Ukrainian army, according to officials at their training camp. Unlike volunteer groups such as the Freedom of Russia legion that have declared support for Ukraine, these soldiers are part of the regular Ukrainian army and expect to be sent into battle very soon.
Ukrainian officials said they expect to attract more Russian citizens, particularly from the country’s minorities, to join the war against Putin. Those in the Sibir battalion underwent thorough security checks to verify they were supporters of Ukraine then signed a military contract, adopting army call signs to protect their identities, military officials stated.
All the members of the 60-strong battalion are volunteers, and none are recruited from among Russian prisoners of war, another official elaborated. The military plans to speed up background checks — which can take upwards of a year — in order to encourage more Russians to join their ranks, he said.
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