Injured Russian prisoner: Mother, I want home!

Postimees had an opportunity yesterday to interview a 37-year-old Russian prisoner-of war (POW). “I do not ant the war. I want home. Please take me back home!” he said on a quiet and shaking voice.

The doctor treating the wounded Russian asked several times before the interview in the journalists’ presence whether he agrees to talk to us on his free will. We could hear the soldier give the affirmative answer every time.

The soldier, who had received stomach and foot wounds, said that he was 37-year-old Corporal Artyom Kuanchelyov from Saratov. He serves in the 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade, which is stationed in Samara. Artyom claimed that they had been told that their unit will leave for training exercises in Belarus.

“This is what they told us. I do not know how it happened that we got here,” Artyom, the sole patient in the ward, told Postimees and the German magazine Die Welt.

According to the POW their convoy had crossed the Ukrainian border at night. They had no idea where they were until they saw cars with Ukrainian number plates in the morning. On February, he and his section, altogether nine men, were taken prisoner by the Ukrainians.

“I am not sure where I was wounded. The locals surrounded us, there was an exchange of fire, we surrendered,” the soldier told us.

“I do not want the war. I want home. Please, take me back home!” he repeated to the journalists several times.

We asked what he would like to tell his mother. “Mother, I love you. I want back to you,” he said.

Any words to president of Russia Vladimir Putin?

Artyom took a long pause before replying: “I do not want to wage war. Why that war? I am sorry for the people.”

What would he say to the Ukrainian people who are killed and bombed by the aircraft of his army?

“I am very sorry for the peaceful people. I had no idea that I was going to war. I did not want to go to war,” Artyom said.

He told us that he had served as a professional soldier for 12 years and had never participated in any armed conflict. However, he had told the medics that he had taken part in the war in Syria, but as a cook.

As far as Postimees could ascertain, the story of Artyom becoming a POW was as follows. The convoy of his brigade invaded the in the Chernihiv province in Ukraine from Belarus. A heavy army truck had broken down and Artyom’s section with a BTR armored personnel carrier had been left behind to guard it. There were promised to be picked up later but during 24 hours nobody came.

Afterwards, on February 27, a Ukrainian patrol discovered them and opened fire. Artyom’s section attempted to escape with the BTR, but they drove off the road into a swamp and the vehicle was stuck there. The nine-member group them decided to return to Russia on foot. For the ease of movement, they even threw away the armor plates of the bullet-proof vests. But they soon encountered a Ukrainian army checkpoint, which opened fire, surrounded them and the Russians surrendered after a brief firefight. Artyom received his stomach and foot wounds in that exchange of fire. He had no idea what had happened to the other eight Russian soldiers who taken prisoner with him.

Artyom said that he had heard Ukrainian officers saying that he would be exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner by the Russians. “I do not know whether or not the war is over for me. I want home,” he said.

Artyom promised that if he should return home, he would never again handle a weapon.

He had good impression of the Ukrainian doctors. “They treat me well. The food is good as well,” he said.