A Russian soldier recruited as a double agent by Ukraine has described burning his own army’s trenches.
In a rare interview with one of the Russians now working with the Ukrainian resistance, the conscript soldier told The Telegraph that he set fire to his unit’s trench on the left bank of the Dnipro river in July.
The blaze spread to the neighbouring unit’s dugout and the conscript watched as his fellow soldiers burned themselves in futile attempts to retrieve ammunition and weapons.
“There was panic, thick smoke from the fire, and shelling from the Ukrainian side,” the conscript, who The Telegraph is not naming, said.
“While they were trying to extinguish the fire and save the supplies of food and weapons, the fire spread to a larger area. Many soldiers suffered burns.”
The Russian had recently been recruited by Atesh (meaning fire in Crimean Tatar), an underground Ukrainian resistance movement fighting to derail Vladimir Putin’s war.
“I knew the area well since I’ve been there for a long time,” he said. “I think I did my job well, maybe even more so. The results exceeded our expectations.”
Atesh reported on their Telegram channel that the fire severely damaged both units’ trenches and dugouts, destroyed several warehouses and burnt most of their supplies. Up to 20 soldiers allegedly suffered severe burns.
Now in a new position on Ukraine’s front line, the young, emboldened soldier told The Telegraph he would do all he could to continue his work against Putin’s regime.
Atesh was formed by ethnic Ukrainian, Russia and Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea in the summer of 2022.
It now has more than 2,000 resistance fighters operating in the shadows across all occupied territories and in Russia itself, infiltrating deep within the Russian military, a spokesman from Atesh told The Telegraph. “We are constantly growing,” he added.
The guerrilla group collaborates with Ukrainian intelligence as well as other resistance movements, relying on locals’ intimate knowledge of the land and, increasingly, Russian soldiers themselves.
Dozens of Russians thrust into a war they didn’t want to fight have become valuable assets.
“Almost from the very beginning, Russian soldiers have been joining us, helping to obtain information both on the front line and in the rear in Crimea and Russia. But we are currently seeing a significant increase in the number of Russian soldiers joining our ranks,” the spokesman said.
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***The Telegraph reports:***
A Russian soldier recruited as a double agent by Ukraine has described burning his own army’s trenches.
In a rare interview with one of the Russians now working with the Ukrainian resistance, the conscript soldier told The Telegraph that he set fire to his unit’s trench on the left bank of the Dnipro river in July.
The blaze spread to the neighbouring unit’s dugout and the conscript watched as his fellow soldiers burned themselves in futile attempts to retrieve ammunition and weapons.
“There was panic, thick smoke from the fire, and shelling from the Ukrainian side,” the conscript, who The Telegraph is not naming, said.
“While they were trying to extinguish the fire and save the supplies of food and weapons, the fire spread to a larger area. Many soldiers suffered burns.”
The Russian had recently been recruited by Atesh (meaning fire in Crimean Tatar), an underground Ukrainian resistance movement fighting to derail Vladimir Putin’s war.
“I knew the area well since I’ve been there for a long time,” he said. “I think I did my job well, maybe even more so. The results exceeded our expectations.”
Atesh reported on their Telegram channel that the fire severely damaged both units’ trenches and dugouts, destroyed several warehouses and burnt most of their supplies. Up to 20 soldiers allegedly suffered severe burns.
Now in a new position on Ukraine’s front line, the young, emboldened soldier told The Telegraph he would do all he could to continue his work against Putin’s regime.
Atesh was formed by ethnic Ukrainian, Russia and Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea in the summer of 2022.
It now has more than 2,000 resistance fighters operating in the shadows across all occupied territories and in Russia itself, infiltrating deep within the Russian military, a spokesman from Atesh told The Telegraph. “We are constantly growing,” he added.
The guerrilla group collaborates with Ukrainian intelligence as well as other resistance movements, relying on locals’ intimate knowledge of the land and, increasingly, Russian soldiers themselves.
Dozens of Russians thrust into a war they didn’t want to fight have become valuable assets.
“Almost from the very beginning, Russian soldiers have been joining us, helping to obtain information both on the front line and in the rear in Crimea and Russia. But we are currently seeing a significant increase in the number of Russian soldiers joining our ranks,” the spokesman said.
**Full story:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/12/i-set-fire-to-my-own-trenches-to-stop-putin-winning-war/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/12/i-set-fire-to-my-own-trenches-to-stop-putin-winning-war/)
How are the trenches made that they burn? Are they wood lined like WW1 trenches?