Ocheret special operation: 24-year-old Russian soldier defects to side of Ukraine

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO, Rustem Khalilov — Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 15:04

The briefing on 20 August. Photo: Ukrainska Pravda

Details of Operation Ocheret, which resulted in a 24-year-old Russian serviceman defecting to Ukraine, have been released by the Freedom of Russia Legion and I Want to Live, Ukraine's state-run project that helps Russian soldiers who want to surrender.

Source: The Freedom of Russia Legion; I Want to Live; Ukrainska Pravda’s correspondent at a press conference on 20 August

Quote from I Want to Live: "A serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces who goes by the alias Silver has signed an army contract so that he can cross the front line to the Ukrainian side and join the Freedom of Russia Legion.

This guy was unlucky enough to end up in the very centre of hell – one of the Storm suicide units. During his service there, he saw all the ‘delights’ of the Russian army: the total lawlessness, devaluation of human life, lack of training, lack of supplies, sadistic commanders, severe punishments for the slightest fault, etc."

Details: The serviceman reportedly got in touch with the Freedom of Russia Legion in early 2024.

For several months, Silver was a member of the resistance movement and passed important operational information to the Freedom of Russia Legion, such as the locations of assets and personnel, plans, tasks in a particular area of the front, etc.

In May 2024, seizing the moment, he set fire to the headquarters while Russian soldiers were inside: he threw a grenade through a ventilation pipe into the basement of the headquarters, where the battalion commander was spending the night.

As a result, the commander and several senior officers of the Storm unit were seriously injured.

The Freedom of Russia Legion command, together with the I Want to Live team, arranged for Silver to leave the line of contact. On the way out, Silver mined the trail and followed the agreed route.

The operation took place near the town of Ocheretyne, Donetsk Oblast, hence the name Ocheret ("Reeds").

Silver is currently undergoing basic training as a Legion recruit.

Vitalii Matviienko, a spokesperson for I Want to Live, said at the press conference that there have been more than 300 successful operations (Russian soldiers voluntarily surrendering to the Ukrainian side) in almost two years.