Spent more than 10 months encircled: Skelia Regiment rescues 21 fighters of 159th Brigade. VIDEO
Soldiers of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skelia" carried out an operation to evacuate 21 fighters of the 159th Separate Mechanised Brigade who had been encircled for more than 10 months and could no longer get out on their own. During the operation in the Kharkiv region, the assault troops also captured nine Russian soldiers and evacuated two civilians.
The regiment released footage of the operation on its YouTube channel, Censor.NET reports.
Fighters’ appeal and command’s response
Fighters of the 159th Brigade sent a video appeal to the Skelia Regiment asking for help getting out of the encirclement. The video reached Skelia’s commander, who responded immediately. The regiment coordinated with the 159th Brigade and committed all available personnel and equipment. Higher command issued a combat order to clear the area of enemy troops and carry out a rotation to relieve the fighters at their position.
Skelia’s command then planned the operation with representatives of the 159th Brigade. Assault groups were to clear the route of Russian troops and secure a corridor for the encircled fighters to leave.
What the rescued soldiers said
The evacuated soldiers said they had spent between seven and 11 months in forward positions. According to one of them, Russian forces began infiltrating from both sides of the settlement, leaving the Ukrainian positions encircled.
The soldiers described harsh survival conditions. They ate whatever they could find in pits after Grad rocket strikes and said they had been encircled since February 17, under constant threat from drones and mines. Russian FPV drones and mined areas made movement difficult.
"Under threat from drones and mines. We thank God and everyone who came to our rescue. Especially Skelia," said a 159th Brigade soldier with the call sign "Samara."
How the operation unfolded
- Skelia fighters entered the settlement, picked up the 159th Brigade soldiers, and brought them out without losses. Large numbers of drones impeded their advance, including drones lying on the ground that had to be defused along the route. The rescued soldiers said they had grown used to rationing food because of prolonged hunger, making it difficult to start eating full meals immediately after leaving the encirclement.
Medics who received the evacuated soldiers found signs of exhaustion, including starvation, dehydration, high blood pressure, and hypertensive crises. One fighter had stepped on an anti-personnel mine. After more than a month without qualified medical care and with a tourniquet in place, he required a lower-leg amputation following the development of emphysema.
Nine Russian soldiers captured
- During the operation to bring out the 159th Brigade fighters, the Skelia unit also captured nine Russian soldiers.
One of them, Yevhenii Ivashov, said each Russian group had been sent a Russian flag. On a designated day, the groups were to show the tricolour to their drones as confirmation that settlements had been occupied. The Russians surrendered without resistance when they encountered Ukrainian troops.
Civilians evacuated from the grey zone
During the operation, Ukrainian troops also evacuated two civilians who had been living in the so-called grey zone in unbearable conditions, without heating and in a home damaged by shelling. They handed the civilians over to volunteers for transport to a safe place.
