© Sputnik
Ukrainian Forces Caught Attempting to Leave Mariupol Dressed in Women’s Clothing – Video
The coastal city of Mariupol has become a major focal point of fighting in eastern Ukraine. As many as 15,000 Ukrainian troops and National Guard fighters are concentrated here, among them the 53rd Mechanized Brigade and the infamous neo-Nazi Azov battalion. Up to 150,000 civilians also remain trapped in areas controlled by nationalist forces.
Ukrainian forces have been attempting to disguise themselves as civilians in order to escape Russian and Donbass militia encirclement in Mariupol, with some even resorting to dressing up in women’s clothing, Donetsk People’s Militia battalion commander Oleg Kokarev has told Sputnik.
“Well, for one thing, they are hiding behind civilians. And secondly, as we evacuate civilians, they try to escape disguised as civilians, to our side here, to blend in somewhere and get away,” Kokarev said.
“Today one even made me laugh. He was dressed like Papadopoulos, you know from the movie [Wedding in Malinovka], in a woman’s fur coat with a big white pile and women’s shoes and a dress. And he swore that he is a civilian, that he lives here. Well, you could tell by looking at him that he is a fighter,” the commander said.
Kokarev reported multiple cases of attempts by militants to escape in women’s clothing.
Kokarev said suspected Ukrainian troops and National Guard fighters are questioned and sent to the proper authorities for further questioning after being caught.