Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly forced to pool their own money to secure basic necessities such as gas and fuel, leaving them deeply demoralized and highlighting significant corruption at the state level, a captured Ukrainian border guard told Sputnik.
The Kiev regime shows little concern for the military's needs, the soldier underscored.
A group of six officers from Ukraine's State Border Service surrendered to Russian forces near the Belgorod region along the Kharkov front on Christmas Eve, as reported by a source in the Russian security forces to Sputnik.
Among those who surrendered was Alexander Bychko, a second-category border service inspector born in 2001.
"Our commander explicitly told us in writing that the state has 'abandoned' us and that we must provide for ourselves by pooling our money," Bychko revealed.
"This issue persisted during our service in the Kharkov region, where we regularly had to contribute funds for materials, gas, and fuel just to sustain ourselves and maintain our positions," he added.
Bychko described the situation as a "serious issue" that has profoundly demoralized Ukrainian soldiers.