The number of Russian soldiers searching ‘how to surrender’ on the web has doubled in a month.
Verstka reported their worried relatives are inundating Russia ’s main search engine to understand how to safely raise the white flag and become prisoners of war.
The new peak of 70,000-plus searches a month coincides with the arrival of thousands of ill-trained mobilised troops at the front after being conscripted by Vladimir Putin.
There has been a rise in online postings complaining of conditions at the front and fears among troops that Putin is using them as “cannon fodder”.
Evidence suggests many conscripts are far from loyal to the Kremlin dictator.
A separate report says more than 4,000 Russian soldiers have already applied for surrender to Ukraine, according to a spokesman for the project ‘I Want to Live’, Vitaly Matvienko.
Ukraine offers a hotline and internet guidance on how to surrender.
A new video shows how frontline Russian soldiers can cross no man’s land at the front and surrender, watched by a Ukrainian quadcopter.
They should first contact the ‘I Want to Live’ project.
Instructions tell Russians how they should lay down their weapons if surrendering in a group of soldiers.
The November figure of 70,253 searches is the highest since the spring when Putin was seeking to storm Kyiv in a disastrous offensive, which led to a humiliating retreat.
Online searches have doubled since October.
Russia has made it a crime to voluntarily surrender into captivity, punishable by up to ten years in jail.
The Mirror reported in March how surrendering Russian soldiers switched sides and were now fighting for Ukraine against Vladimir Putin's forces, it was claimed.
Ukrainian officials say a new Freedom of Russia legion has been formed for demoralised troops turning their backs on the Russian invaders.
It comes amid reports of plummeting morale among soldiers fighting the Kremlin's war - with some said to be refusing orders and even shooting down their own planes.
Russian armed forces personnel have already started training to fight alongside their new comrades, it was claimed.
Pictures purportedly showed Russians training alongside their new Ukrainian comrades.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry also said on its Telegram channel that commanders have been visiting captured and surrendered Russian troops "in order to select those who wish to serve".
In a follow-up post it said the "first volunteers" had already started individual additional training."
The ministry stated: "The legion's personnel, under the guidance of Ukrainian Armed Forces instructors, studied a NLAW grenade launcher.
"In addition, the commanders of the legion's subdivisions got acquainted with the operational situation on the fronts."
Members of the new legion "expressed a common desire" on behalf of all volunteers to conduct the first battle against the Putin regime.
