Ukraine captures sole survivor of Russian assault – an Egyptian IT student

Ukrainian forces in Donetsk Oblast capture an Egyptian IT student who, after receiving a Russian passport, Russia conscripted and deployed to the front.

Nov 6, 2024 - 15:00

Ukraine captures sole survivor of Russian assault – an Egyptian IT student

Egyptian IT-student receives passport and draft notice for the Russian Army - captured by Ukraine

Ukrainian forces captured an Egyptian student who had been mobilized into the Russian army shortly after receiving Russian citizenship, according to the 79th Air Assault Brigade press officer Orest Drymalovskyi. The student, who had moved to Russia to study IT, was deployed near Kurakhove following his conscription.

Russian forces are in desperate need of personnel, suffering about 1,000 casualties per day—30,000 dead and wounded each month, according to British defense analyst Michael Clarke. In their urgency, they may resort to extreme measures to replenish their ranks.

Drymalovskyi said the Egyptian national was the only survivor of a failed Russian assault.

“He was lucky; he is practically the only one from the assault group who managed to survive. He was taken captive. He is an interesting person – he speaks four languages and is a polyglot. Perhaps we can exchange him for those Ukrainian guys who are in Russian captivity,” he noted.

Russia has increasingly mobilized foreign nationals into its military ranks, often coercively. Notably, Indian citizens have been deceived by job scams, lured to Russia with employment promises, and subsequently forced into combat roles against Ukraine. This exploitation led to the deaths of eight Indian nationals and prompted 63 others to seek early discharge from Russian military service.

RBC-Ukraine reports that recruitment of foreigners, especially those with financial struggles, into the Russian army has increased since January 2024. Russian forces are increasingly using these recruitment tactics to dupe foreign nationals into serving in the Russian Army, often in frontline units to recoup massive casualties sustained in their grinding offensive actions.

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