Ustimenko did not want to fight and in February 2023 he left the unit and began living in the village of Novokamenka. In May, an employee of the Ukrainian special services approached him and made him an offer that was hard to refuse. Threatened with violence.
“He gave the coordinates of the Buk, said let’s go there and try to destroy it. If you don’t, we will find you, we will kill you, we will not give you life”, says the Ukrainian.
When he got to where they told him, he saw the cordon and decided to surrender.
Earlier it was reported about three starving fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who crossed the Dnipro in a boat and surrendered. They complained about the bad attitude of the commanders and the lack of food. Fuel is needed to deliver food. “They buy it with their own money. And we have empty pockets,” explained the deserter.