[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I see your point, but you've presented a false dichotomy (die fighting, or surrender and die anyway). Of course, surrender isn't without risk- it's one of the riskiest things a soldier at war can do. However, in this war, there have been documented surrenders of Ukrainian troops without summary executions, and prisoner exchanges. Bucha was very bad, but it was mostly civilians that were killed, not surrendered soldiers. That's not to say that Russian troops can't or won't take their frustrations out on surrendering troops, but such an outcome isn't a given.

That said, for many, "perception is reality", and if the defenders believe they'll be tortured and killed if they surrender, it makes sense that they've decided not to.

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Not quite a "false dichotomy." Are you not listening to Putin's speeches? Did you not see what has already happened to the AZOV Battalion fighters who were captured? Putin swore on national TV in December that he would try and convict everyone in the AZOV Batallion as a Nazi. The images are gone from GOOGLE now but did you see what the Russians did to those 8 members of the battalion in the first week of the war? Crucified right in Maripol then lit on fire and burned.