Eight days alone at position with two POWs
In March 2025, a scout from the 155th Brigade, call sign Timon, was defending the approaches to Pokrovsk from positions in the village of Shevchenko. During this sortie, four of his comrades were killed, leaving him alone but he continued carrying out the combat task. He held the position and encountered two enemy scouts, managing to capture them on his own and spent eight days with them.
He gathered and relayed intelligence by listening in on their radio communications, repelled four assaults, and held out until reinforcements arrived and he received the order to withdraw. During the withdrawal, one of the prisoners was killed by a landmine, while the other was added to the prisoner exchange pool. Following this combat mission, Timon was awarded the "Cross of the Brave" badge.
The positions were located in the village of Shevchenko, Pokrovsk district. A few scattered buildings were still intact, but they offered no real protection. To find proper cover, I had to look for basements, but there were none nearby.
The enemy concentrated its main forces on Pokrovsk, while Shevchenko was on the city’s outskirts. If the enemy had fully captured the village, they would’ve gained access routes into Pokrovsk. At that time, I was still serving in an infantry company and entered the positions alongside the infantry, as the team leader. I entered the position on March 13. I can tell you, the intensity of enemy drone activity was very high. There were mortar attacks, and there was also urban combat. We approached Pokrovsk in armored vehicles. In the city, we dismounted and continued on foot.
It was over 4 kilometers, close to 5. That was the distance we had to cover. It was around 2 or 3 in the morning. Our task was to reach the position, hold it, and cover the movement of my comrades and adjacent units. During the approach, our group consisted of five infantry soldiers. We began our movement wearing anti-drone cloaks and remained undetected for a while. But once we got closer to the village itself, enemy drones spotted us. After that, we had no natural cover, no tree lines, no buildings, nothing. We moved out of the treeline and started advancing toward the settlement, and that’s when they began shelling us with mortars.
Out of the five, how many of you were left?
Two of us remained. We understood that our comrades had been killed, but we had to keep moving. They were killed by mortar fire, the shell hit them directly, you could say. We continued advancing, found a partially destroyed basement, and took cover there. We established contact with our commanders and reported that we had come under mortar attack. Shortly after, FPV drones started targeting us. At one point, a mine hit the basement directly. My comrade was killed. I tried to find cover where I could not only stay protected but also observe enemy movements and provide some intelligence to my command. I realized one thing: I was alone now. If I wanted to survive, first and foremost, survive, and still be useful, I had to keep working. Sometimes I operated based on the situation, not always according to training. I adapted to the conditions. The main thing was to be effective. For example, when an enemy assault group was moving in my direction during daylight, I reported it to my command. I spotted them from 200 to 300 meters away, moving down my street, storming houses and clearing. I knew that until our drones arrived and adjusted fire, I would have to try to handle it myself.
When I moved from the first basement where my comrade was killed, I started looking for cover. At the moment I spotted a small house, I had my weapon in one hand and a grenade with the pin pulled in the other. Any building could be an enemy position, and I had to storm it and clear it out. I rushed into the house and spotted the enemy. They didn’t even have time to react. With a grenade in one hand and a weapon in the other, they realized that if they made a move, they’d be dead instantly. Maybe if they had wanted to, they might have reacted in time but it’s unlikely they would have.
Can you describe in detail how you entered? Where was their weapon? How did they see you? Were they facing you or had their backs turned?
I approached not from the street, but from the back side. They neither saw nor heard me. They heard mortar fire on the previous position where I had been, but they probably assumed I was already dead or wounded. That’s why they didn’t notice me. Maybe they were scared. Maybe they thought a larger group was coming, not just one person. But it turned out I was alone.
How did you see them?
They were hiding inside the building. I wouldn’t say it was destroyed, but there were no windows or doors. They hid behind kitchen cabinets that were there. Their weapons were resting against the wall. If they had been holding their weapons, things might have been very different.
So they were probably just hiding from the shelling and weren’t prepared for you to storm in?
As far as I understand, their task was to observe our movements. Whenever they spotted us moving, they reported back and called in mortar fire on our positions. That’s why they tried to stay hidden. The first thing I did was tie them up and report to my command.
Did they try to resist?
Honestly, I think they were more scared than I was. They probably panicked or just got frightened. I don’t know, it all happened in seconds. At that moment, I acted. The strap I used to tie one of them, while I was doing that, the other might have thought about resisting. But I always had a grenade in my hand while tying him up. He probably realized that if he made a move, I could just as well detonate the grenade, killing both myself and them. I tied one, then the other, and reported.
You tied one with a strap, but how did you tie the other?
Also with a strap. They had backpacks and gear, so I used a strap from one of their backpacks. Later, when they dropped off extra batteries, they also dropped me plastic zip ties. That’s when I secured them with those zip ties. Information. Very important information. Because they were also scouts, and they were a kind of carriers of intel. When I first talked to them, they didn’t want to say anything, but eventually they started sharing some information: where the enemy was located, their approach routes, and their numbers. Plus, I had their communication devices and listened to their radios around the clock.
Did they respond over the radio?
I had to force them to respond. They reported that no enemy was detected, everything was fine. A few times, adjacent units checked in and were told over the radio that enemy drones had spotted our groups. But I made sure they reported that they saw nothing.
I spent eight days with them. There were assault actions in my sector. During those eight days, the prisoners were supplied with power banks dropped from above. But they were tied up, so I had to leave cover to retrieve the packages that were dropped for them. It was very dangerous, but at that time, I removed all my identification marks so the enemy wouldn’t realize it was me and not them. The position I held was about 150 to 200 meters from the position I was originally supposed to take. However, the position I took was more advantageous because I covered an entire street and could observe it.
How close were the nearest positions, maybe adjacent units or your own brigade’s? How far had they advanced?
I had no communication with adjacent units, and the closest position from my unit was about a kilometer away, behind my lines. I was on the front line, and they were in the rear. That was the nearest position of my unit.
What was your plan back then? How did you see the situation developing? How long did you expect to be there, reporting?
I planned to stay there as long as needed because I was also covering the approach routes of my comrades who were moving into position. I tried to cover their approach. Sometimes, when my comrades began advancing, the enemy would spot them and start mortar fire. That’s when I had to adapt, drawing enemy attention to myself so they could continue moving.
Did you have any time to rest or get a few hours of sleep?
No, none at all.
For eight days?
At most, two or three minutes, I just closed my eyes because it was too dangerous. At any moment, they could’ve freed their hands or assault actions could’ve started in my sector.
How did you manage to cope? It’s hard to imagine—eight days without sleep.
What really helped me was that my comrades and adjacent units collected and dropped supplies to me by drone. They even brought me warm tea in a thermos. I’m very grateful to them because it was March and quite cold.
So you ended up feeding the enemy?
The food I had in my assault pack was Snickers and water. I had to share because I understood that I needed to get them to our command, information, communication devices, and, as they say, the prisoner exchange pool, so that when the time comes, we could swap them for our guys.
What happened during those eight days?
What stands out most is that within one day, there were two assaults. The enemy came as close as about 10 meters from me. But the group consisted of six people; they approached but didn’t notice me. I didn’t open fire; I waited for them to get as close as possible. At one point, they discovered a basement. They rushed inside, I didn’t even know there was a basement there because it was buried under rubble. They got in, I reported to my command, and they said a drone was on its way. By the time the drone arrived, I had already cleared the basement.
With small arms?
With small arms and grenades.
Did those assault troops know that others were moving in nearby?
They knew their adjacent units were nearby, but they didn’t know I was there. If they had known I was there, it probably would have been a bit tougher.
How did the two of them behave overall?
At one point, I told them that if I didn’t check in with my command within half an hour, our UAVs would strike that position. I think that’s why they were afraid to take any action in my direction. At that moment, I was mostly reacting to the situation. I tried not to panic and to act correctly, both to save my own life and to provide some benefit, since the command was far away. They were also watching me from their drones. But sometimes weather conditions prevented them from launching a drone to monitor the situation.
How many assaults were there during that time?
There were four assaults, but these were carried out by assault troops. They weren’t infantry—they were assault troops trying to clear the entire street and advance toward Pokrovsk. Their assaults failed because I was working, and the adjacent units were working too. The worst part was that I had no communication with the adjacent units. I had contact with my own unit, but no link to the adjacent forces. I didn’t know exactly where they were, so in case of emergency, they couldn’t provide me with support, whether fire support or intelligence.
Did you have a chance to talk to them? What do you know about them?
From what they told me, one was from the Altai region, the other from occupied Crimea. The one from Crimea lived there before, then moved to Russia, and from there they both joined under contract. They’re contract soldiers, somewhere between 35 and 40 years old.
Were they ideologically motivated?
No. They went to fight for money. One of them told me they earn around 5 million rubles a year. That was their incentive to fight. I guess that’s one way we differ from them, money isn’t always the main motivator for us.
To sum up, how many losses have you personally inflicted on the enemy, including those based on intelligence?
Personally, if I’m not mistaken, I’ve eliminated around 12 people.
And in total, including the intelligence you provided?
I honestly don’t know the exact number, because whenever I spotted enemy movement within a 300-meter radius, our UAVs and mortars engaged them. I couldn’t tell how many enemy soldiers were there. The most important intel I had was when I heard about enemy movement toward a certain building that housed a cache...The enemy stored grenades and mines there. This information was very valuable both to me personally and to my command, because at one point, they were able to destroy that building containing the enemy’s ammunition. My command ordered me to observe and wait for the adjacent units who were to relieve me. I waited until the guys arrived, secured the position, and only then was I ordered to withdraw. Once my comrades were in place, I received the order to pull back with the prisoners.
How did you withdraw with the prisoners?
I withdrew under orders. My command told me that a drone would be guiding me along the safest route. But still, during the withdrawal, one of the prisoners stepped on a mine and was killed. Only one prisoner remained, whom I escorted to a nearby position about a kilometer away. There, I met up with a fellow soldier from the adjacent unit, and together we continued moving toward evacuation. We moved out around 4 to 5 hours. There were dangerous sections.
When did the enemy realize they had lost two scouts?
When I was withdrawing with the prisoners, the enemy drone spotted us. But I forced the prisoners to say they were just out looking for cover or something like that, so the enemy wouldn’t realize I was leading them to the adjacent units.
At one point, the enemy drone spotted us. We were almost at the evacuation point. They shelled us with mortars, but we managed to get to the evacuation in time.
What was the hardest part for you overall?
The hardest? Probably the overwhelming exhaustion, I was extremely sleepy. It was also difficult emotionally because I knew my comrades weren’t nearby, and I had to stay alone on the position and hold it.
So the hardest part was emotional?
Emotionally. Physically, I could have stayed there for some time without problems.
Can you tell us about your injury? What kind of wound did you have?
I had a concussion, a ruptured eardrum, and several shrapnel wounds, but they weren’t very serious. I realized they weren’t so severe that I couldn’t keep working.
Did you have a hearing loss?
Yes, for a while. I could hear fairly well in one ear, but not at all in the other.
How is your hearing now?
It’s good now.
Did you receive treatment?
Yes, I did. They treated me, and now my health is very good. The injury happened on March 14.
So, right at the beginning?
Yes, right at the start. I was injured the whole time. Probably adrenaline was pumping, so I didn’t even feel the wounds.
How did you train to act so professionally?
I completed the standard Basic Combined Arms Training, like everyone else. Then I underwent training in France. After returning from France, I went on missions multiple times — both to the front line and the second line. Over time, I gained experience. Besides, I trained as an infantry squad leader, so I already had skills that probably surpassed theirs. I used to do sports — I practiced athletics for about eight years. And then came conscription service. Conscription service helped me a lot, too. For example, during my conscript service, my unit provided excellent training in hand-to-hand combat.
Tell us, what were you doing before the war? How did you end up in the military?
Before the war, I worked abroad for almost 10 years. I spent some time as a forklift operator and some time working in construction. I enlisted voluntarily, without a draft notice. I decided to go because I realized something needed to change. By that time, many of my acquaintances had gone to fight, and some of them died. And I realized that something had to change—I had to go and help. I understood that the war could affect any one of us at any moment.
Did you surprise yourself?
Of course I did. On one hand, it’s very rewarding to know I’m an example for other soldiers.
Have you received any awards since then?
I have. The Cross of the Brave. Even one person can make a difference and contribute significantly.
