In a shocking video that surfaced on Monday, captured Russian soldier Lt. Col. Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich tells reporters that the Russian army was tricked into believing that Kyiv was overthrown by a Nazi regime and needed liberating.
According to the New York Post, Mikhailovich, who was captured with two other soldiers, said they were told they were being sent to help Ukraine because it was “dominated by a fascist regime” and that “nationalists and Nazis had seized power.”
“Obviously, this information was unilateral information,” Mikhailovich told reporters.
Mikhailovich begged for “mercy” from and said he was ready to “go to jail” for taking part in the brutal offensive, the Post reports.
“I feel shame that we came to this country,” the colonel said. “I don’t know why we were doing it. We knew very little. We brought sorrow to this land.”
“I cannot find the words to say sorry to the Ukrainian people,” Mikhailovich said, adding he would understand if Russia was never forgiven.
Watch the clip above.