Volga 149.200

Volga 149.200 (Russian: Волга 149.200) is a VHF radio frequency (149.2 MHz) for receiving surrender appeals from Ukrainian servicemen. The hotline was set up by the Russian military in the summer of 2023. The hotline was designed to enable Ukrainian servicemen who do not want to participate in combat or military operations to surrender to the Russian Armed Forces. Similar to how the Ukrainian hotline I Want to Live is designed to help Russian servicemen who do not want to participate in the Russian invasion of Ukraine to safely surrender to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.[1] The Ukrainian soldiers who use the radio frequency to surrender are reportedly "well-fed and provided with all necessary medical care".

In 27 September 2023, the Russian state media center TASS claimed that over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have used the radio frequency to surrender.[2] However, an analysis by American fact-checking website Snopes has found no evidence for this claim.[3]

In 2024, when French President Emmanuel Macron made statements about the possibility of French troops being deployed to Ukraine, posters began to appear near the French Embassy in Moscow and public transport stations around the embassy. The posters depicted an image of the commander of the French SS division Charlemagne, Edgar Puaud and text in both French and Russian which read: "Frenchmen, do not repeat the mistakes of your ancestors; their fate is well-known" followed by "Call Volga 149.200".[4]

References

  1. ^ ""Добровільно в полон": як працює проєкт "Хочу жить" для російських військових" ["Voluntarily taken prisoner": how the "I want to live" project works for the Russian military]. Ukrainian Radio. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Over 10,000 Ukrainian fighters surrender since summer using special radio frequency". tass.com. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ Wrona, Aleksandra (2 October 2023). "Thousands of Ukrainian Soldiers Surrendered to Russia in Early October 2023?". Snopes. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  4. ^ "The Russians are calling on the French to Surrender with Provocative Posters: "Don't repeat the Mistakes"". 7 June 2024.
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