Voice of Ukraine

From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 441):

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
Psalm 141:9-10

Our life consists of choices that we make every day. Even when we are idle, it is our choice to be inactive. We can blame circumstances and other people, yet it always comes down to our choices and their consequences. That was one of the first truths we taught to our son. Even today, when we talk about this war, we often tell him that you are not born an invader or a hero, but you choose to become one, even if you take barely noticeable baby steps as you go.

Today, I read a few reports that perfectly illustrate the great significance of choices people make. If I saw this scene in a movie, I would say the screenwriters took it too far, yet these scenes were documented by a drone operator somewhere near Bakhmut.

Scene 1.
A Russian soldier is wounded after an explosion. It looks like his legs are broken, and he cannot move. It’s unclear if he could communicate with his group or tried requesting evacuation. He hears a Ukrainian drone and tries to shoot it down with his machine gun. When he realizes that he cannot take down the drone and cannot get away, he shoots himself with his machine gun.
Scene 2.
Another Russian soldier is in a similar position. He is wounded, hears a Ukrainian drone, takes off his helmet, puts a grenade under his head, and pulls the pin. Russian propaganda keeps convincing their soldiers that it is better to die than surrender, so they give very specific instructions on the best ways to take your life.
Scene 3.
The third Russian soldier witnesses this and sees the Ukrainian drone. He gestures to the drone, puts away his weapon, and shows that he is ready to surrender. He motions a request not to kill him. Ukrainian drone operators send a drone with a note that tells him to follow the drone if he wants to surrender. The Russian soldier shows that it’s dangerous yet starts following the drone. At the same time, his “brothers-in-arms” try to shoot him in the back. The Ukrainian drone operators guide him to the safety of Ukrainian positions and take him captive.

Three men from the same trench, separated only by a few dozen meters, face the same challenge, yet each makes his own choice. Two choices lead to death, but one leads to life. The Russian soldier needed to choose humility and surrender, and the Ukrainian drone operators had to choose mercy. What a powerful story of choices that are still possible even when the situation seems to be a rattrap.