On Saturday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly addressed the citizens of Russia that their President Vladimir Putin is knowingly “sending his countrymen to their deaths.”
“The Russian government is fully aware that it is sending its citizens to their deaths,” Zelensky said in Russian.
“You will be treated in a civilized manner,” he added to the Russian soldiers, hours after Moscow issued a law to toughen penalties for those who voluntarily desert. You will not be informed.”
The statement came hours after Putin signed an amendment on Saturday that would make soldiers who desert or refuse to fight during mobilization face up to 10 years in prison.
“Better to reject the rhetoric of conscription than to die as a war criminal in a foreign land,” Zelenskiy said. Participating in a war of aggression.”
He continued addressing the Russian citizens: Surrendering to the Ukrainian army is better than being killed by the blows of our weapons, the fair blows of Ukraine, which defends itself in this war.
Russia replaced a logistics officer in its military on Saturday after a series of setbacks, as regions it controls in eastern and southern Ukraine vote for a second day on whether to join them.
In an interview published on Saturday, Zelensky said he was “shocked” that Israel had not provided Kiev with anti-missile systems to help counter Russian attacks.
Zelensky requested the weapons soon after the war began in February, citing Israel’s Iron Dome system, which is often used to intercept rockets fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
He added: “I don’t know what happened to Israel. Honestly, I’m shocked because I don’t know why they couldn’t give us air defense.”
Israel, which has condemned the Russian invasion, is concerned about strained relations with Moscow, which has influence in neighboring Syria, where Israeli forces often attack armed groups loyal to Iran.
Source: Lebanon Debate
