A deserter from an infamous Russian military unit accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine described his former comrade “maniacs who enjoy killing.”
Nikita Chibrin told CNN that he witnessed his unit – the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade who stand accused of perpetrating war crimes during operations in Bucha, Borodianka and other towns north of Kyiv – committing crimes that he was willing to testify to at the International Criminal Court.
Chibrin deserted the Russian military in September, fleeing to Europe from Belarus and Kazakhstan. He is now in an undisclosed European nation where he has requested asylum.
The former soldier listed some of the war crimes he saw his unit commit and other he heard stories about. Throughout the interview, he remained adamant he did not commit any of the crimes himself.
“I didn’t see murders but I saw rapists running away, being chased [by higher-ranking members of the unit] because they committed rape,” he said.
According to him, the unit had a “direct command to murder” anyone who gave away the unit’s position, even if they were civilians.
“If someone had a phone – we were allowed to shoot them,” he said.
He added that he was certain that many of the soldiers in the unit had no qualms about murdering unarmed civilians.
“There are maniacs who enjoy killing a man. Such maniacs turned up there,” he said.
He described massive looting, scenes of Russian troops stealing anything they could get their hands on, including computers and jewelry.
“They didn’t hide this at all. A lot from my unit, when we left Lipovka and Andreevka in the end of March, they took cars, vehicles, they took civilian cars and sold them in Belarus,” he said. “The mentality is, if you steal something, you are good. If nobody catches you, good! If you see something that is expensive and you steal it and don’t get caught, you are good.”
Chibrin said he is convinced Russia will lose the war but before that happens, there will be many more deaths.
“Because Russia won’t stop until big blood is spilled, until everyone dies. Soldiers are cannon fodder to them. They don’t respect them,” he said, describing how the soldiers in his unit received no training.
“Of course Russia will lose. Because the whole world is supporting Ukraine. To think that they (the Russians) will win is stupid,” he added. “They thought they would occupy Kyiv in three days. What day is it now [of the war]? 260th? They thought they would come to Ukraine and be met with flowers. But they were told to f*** off and thrown Molotov cocktails at.”
The former soldier finally found a way to escape Ukraine when he saw the commanders of other units leaving on a truck and he hitched a ride.
“I jump in [the bed of the truck] and I see, wow, other guys, also leaving Ukraine. And they say we don’t want to [fight the] war, we paid the commander money [to drive]. And I am waiting and waiting and then we are near to the Russia border and the car is stopped and the guys are jumping off and I am also jumping off. And I go to the Russia border and I say I need the medical help,” he said.