Russians join Ukraine's Siberian Battalion, train for combat
STORY: Two dozen Russian have joined the Siberian Battalion, a unit of Ukraine's International Legion founded this autumn 2023, and are firing assault rifles and machine guns at targets at the undisclosed training ground.
A Ukrainian military officer, who asked not be identified, said most of the unit's members came from Russia, travelling through third countries to reach Ukraine.
The officer said most are from among the indigenous peoples of Siberia and recruits said they want to fight against what they said was Russian imperialism both inside Ukraine and in their homelands.
One of the recruits said it was a hard decision to make whilst another said he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to fight Ukraine.
