The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Russian soldiers who surrender in Ukraine will be treated in a "civilized way", reports the BBC.
In his address, Zelensky called on the Russians to flee or surrender the moment they find themselves on the throne in Ukraine.
His calls come after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree punishing Russian soldiers who desert or disobey orders with up to XNUMX years in prison.
Protests continue in Russia against the partial mobilization called by Putin to recruit 300 new troops.
Russian human rights organization OVD-Info has reported that 700 people were arrested on Saturday, while over 1000 others were arrested earlier this week. The arrests were made after protests organized to oppose the mobilization.
Zelensky - speaking in Russian - has called on the Russians to surrender in Ukraine and not risk being convicted as war criminals after the conflict.
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Ukraine has said it will treat defectors according to international conventions and will not return anyone to Russia who fears persecution.
"It is better to surrender than to be killed by our weapons," Zelensky said.
