A Russian commander captured by Ukrainian forces apologized for his country's invasion of Ukraine, calling the war a "genocide" waged under false justifications.
"We were told that … Ukraine's territory is dominated by fascists' regime. Nationalists, Nazis have seized power," Lieutenant Colonel Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv on Saturday. "Obviously, this information was unilateral information."
Mikhailovich spoke alongside other captured Russian soldiers in the media appearance. The commander expressed sorrow and regret for having taken part in the bloody invasion that has seen thousands of soldiers and Ukrainian civilians killed.
"I feel shame that we came to this country," Mikhailovich said. "We knew very little. … We brought sorrow to this land."
The commander urged Russian soldiers to oppose the invasion and recognize it as a futile effort.
"You are in a tense situation, going against your own commander. But this is a genocide," Mikhailovich said. "Russia cannot win here anyway. … We can invade the territory, but we cannot invade the people. We would not be able to keep this territory."