A group of six employees of Ukraine's State Border Service surrendered to Russia on Orthodox Christmas Eve on the border with the Belgorod Region in the Kharkov direction, a source in the Russian security services told Sputnik on Monday.
"Our commander wrote in direct words that the state has 'blew us off' and we have to provide for ourselves and contribute money," border service inspector of the second category, sergeant Alexander Bychko (call sign "Medved," born in 2001) said.
During his service in the Kharkov Region, soldiers were constantly contributing money for gas, petrol and other necessary materials to hold positions, Bychko said. He emphasised that this long-standing problem, which is major and not new, seriously depresses and demoralises the spirit of Ukrainian troops.