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“I want to live” is the program started by Ukraine. It’s directed at low-morale Russian soldiers who want to surrender. And according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, it is working.

The program includes a phone hotline, a website, and a Telegram channel all dedicated to talking and exchanging information with active-duty Russian soldiers and their families. 

In many of his daily video calls, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also encourages the Russian invasion forces to surrender.

Russia has suffered a series of defeats on the battlefield against Ukraine. And thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed. They reportedly already have low morale. And Moscow’s September mobilization sent thousands of recruits into fierce battles with few supplies and very little training.

Ukraine’s efforts have included various high-tech and low-tech methods. 

Sometimes instead of dropping bombs, they use Vampire multiple-launch systems to launch missiles loaded with thousands of leaflets into Russian positions. The leaflets, scattered on the ground, encourage Russian forces to surrender.

I want to live hotline

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine created a hotline that aims to aid Russian servicemen discouraged by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A soldier or their family member can call to get information on how to safely surrender to the Ukrainian army. 

Those that surrender are promised they will be treated well, be able to contact relatives, and have access to medical care. And that Ukraine will follow the protocols of the Geneva Conventions.

Representative Andriy Yusov from Ukraine’s ministry of defense said they have received calls from soldiers awaiting deployment and Russian troops who are already in Ukraine.

Yusov, claims Ukraine received 1.2 million inquiries about the “I want to live” program since it was set up on Sept. 18. And most are from Russia.

 The “people who are studying for themselves or their relatives the possibility of saving lives in the bloody and unjust war.”

Meanwhile, the Russians are sending SMS messages to Ukrainian mobile phone subscribers. The program is known as the Russian “text-to-surrender” campaign.

And then came drones

The drone initiative was started in late November.

Thousands of drones are being used in Ukraine to bomb the enemy, guide missiles to their targets, and spy on Russian movements.

The Ukrainian military has gotten very creative with a new program to use drones. They are now employed to guide Russian soldiers to a safe surrender.

Ukraine’s military released footage of a Russian soldier surrendering to an overhead drone which led him to soldiers in the 54th Mechanized Brigade.

Ukrainian deputy minister of defense, Hanna Malyar, said that the “Russian occupier's one last chance to yield themselves” is the I want to live program.

“Otherwise, the only thing that awaits them on the Ukrainian land is death,” she said.