SOF soldiers killed three occupiers in ambush in Donetsk Oblast and took another prisoner: "We were forced to fight. If we refuse to go, they’ll kill us". VIDEO
Soldiers from the 3rd Separate Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Special Operations Forces set up an ambush on one of the routes used by Russian troops to infiltrate the Donetsk region. As a result of the operation, three occupiers were killed and another was taken prisoner.
According to Censor.NET, footage of the operation and the interrogation of the prisoner has been released by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.
Ukrainian special forces took up positions in the enemy’s cover and, using a captured radio, learnt of the approach of new groups of Russian soldiers. They used this information to organise the ambush.
During the battle, Special Operations Forces fighters killed three occupiers and took a fourth prisoner. A radio and a mobile phone were found on the captured Russian soldier; the phone contained details of movement routes, checkpoints and the call signs of commanders.
In a video that has been released, the prisoner speaks of being forced to take part in combat operations, threats of execution and significant losses among Russian assault troops.
According to him, recruits from Central Asia, in particular Uzbeks and Tajiks, are being enlisted into the army and, after minimal training, sent to the front line.
"However many Uzbeks and Tajiks arrived, they all died. We didn’t want to, we were simply forced to," said the prisoner.
He claims he ended up in the Russian army after being released from prison. Prisoners were allegedly beaten for refusing to fight, whilst those who signed a contract were promised 1.4 million roubles. At the same time, he says, the training lasted just one day.
"We had just one day’s training. It was the first time in our lives we’d held an automatic rifle," said a Russian soldier.
The prisoner also said that whilst advancing towards Ukrainian positions, the Russians suffered casualties on virtually every route, and the wounded were left without assistance.
"On every road, every field we cross, two or three people die. No help is provided. They die there, they’re left there," he noted.
According to the captive, the Russian command forbade soldiers from getting too close to one another, and threatened those who refused to follow a designated route with ‘zeroing’ – that is, execution.
He also claims that the Russian command mainly sends recruited foreigners and former prisoners to the front line.
"I surrendered so that I could return home alive and well. They treated me well; they gave me something to drink and fed me," the prisoner of war said of his time in Ukrainian captivity.
At the end of the conversation, the Russian stated that the recruiters’ promises regarding service and pay did not correspond to reality.
