‘Human shields’, fake surrenders: Russia’s dirty tactics in Ukraine exposed

Russian troops are using dirty tricks as they march across Ukraine, from deceptively waving white flags to offering locals $15 to nominate attack targets.

Russian troops have begun a campaign of dirty tricks as they march across Ukraine, from waving white flags pretending to surrender to offering locals $15 cash for every target they can nominate for bombing or ground attack.

Ukrainian officials have warned the population and its armed forces, ahead of the arrival of Russian troops in their district of the underhanded strategies being used.

They have claimed in one instance Russian troops waved white flags and appeared to be surrendering, following a high-profile appeal by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for young Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons and go home.

But as Ukraine’s military approached, other hidden Russian Special Forces opened fire.

There are also reports Russians have been carrying Ukraine-coloured ribbons and flags to move closer to targets.

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That said, there was evidence that many Russian troops have genuinely surrendered, mostly recent conscripts who have declared they had been misled into an invasion believing they were just to be involved in a training exercise.

In another instance, district territorial armies that are sprouting up all over Ukraine have reported youths allegedly being offered the equivalent of $15 if they could spray paint the road outside warehouses or other nondescript military depots for aerial Russian targeting. There is a bonus if they can also use a drone for footage to post online.

According to Ukraine media there was evidence of markings suggesting a subversive targeting campaign although the payment suggestion stemmed from social media and could not be verified.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have also accused each other of dirty tactics, such as using fleeing civilians as “human shields” to progress attacks.