Russian military drills ahead of February 24 were wake-up call - released Azov fighter

Ivan Sokal, who spent more than 2 years in Russian captivity, said this in an interview with Espreso.

"When such large-scale disinformation campaigns began on social media, with various posts and videos, it became clear that the organization of their troops, their different exercises in Crimea, Donetsk region, and from the direction of Belarus, was a signal that all this was not happening by chance. They were practicing certain tactical actions, working on their logistics, and so on," the soldier said.

According to him, closer to February 24, just two weeks before, the occupying Russian forces had gathered most of the troops that would advance into Ukraine. Sokal believes that it was already clear at that point that "they were preparing to move into our territories."

The Azov fighter recalled that he clearly understood Mariupol would be encircled, as securing a land corridor was a key strategic goal for the enemy. He described waking up in the morning to the sound of naval artillery fire from the sea, realizing that the situation was serious and not just a drill.

• On Wednesday, February 5, Ukraine brought home 150 prisoners of war.