100 Russian conscripts surrender to Ukraine in Kursk region: analyst names possible reason

Michael Clarke, a security and defence analyst for the British Sky News, said this.

According to him, the soldiers with the Russian 488th Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces, who are mostly conscripts, fled the battlefield because they encountered a large unit of Ukrainian troops.

As they fled deep into the Russian rear, the Kadyrov soldiers who were there began to fire at them "to stop them from escaping," Clark explained.

"They (the Russian conscripts - ed.) went the other way, turned back to the enemy and surrendered. So a whole company of young conscripts, just 18- and 19-year-olds, surrendered," Clarke concluded.

When it happened

The incident commented on by Michael Clarke took place on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, when soldiers with the Special Operations Center A captured 102 Russian servicemen, namely soldiers of the 488th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and the Akhmat unit. 

The total number of Russian prisoners - conscripts, who are the majority, and non-conscripts - is currently estimated at 2,000.

At the same time, the occupation command continues to transfer conscripts to Kursk region, as it does not want to withdraw combat-ready units of contractors and experienced mobilised soldiers from the frontline in Ukraine.