Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukraine will receive 5 million rubles worth of crypto or cash, according to Masha Efrosinina, local TV host and honorary ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine.
See related article: Ukraine’s crypto demand soars; Russian sanctions tighten
Fast facts
- Efrosinina said in an Instagram post that surrendering soldiers of the Russian military will receive 5 million rubles (US$45,000) in cryptocurrency or fiat, and an amnesty after trial.
- The offer comes from The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the global IT community, according to Efrosinina.
- According to the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., a Russian platoon that surrendered on Feb. 24 was unaware that they were being sent to kill Ukrainians.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” on Thursday, leaving at least 240 civilian casualties and at least 64 dead, according to the United Nations.
- Cryptocurrencies have been a popular instrument to provide financial aid to the defending nation, with the Ukrainian government collecting over US$9.5 million in crypto donations via Bitcoin, Ether and USDT, as of press time.
Forkast has reached out to the Ukrainian ministry to verify the offer. The article will be updated once we receive a response.
See related article: Russia unlikely to turn to crypto if SWIFT sanction is imposed